Date:12/02/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/12/stories/2008021259520400.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Physicians under ‘labour’ scanner

Employers manage to get false age certificate from
the physicians
Employers escape ‘unpunished’ because of various loopholes in system

HYDERABAD: Every time the Labour Department officials rescue a child from the clutches of ‘child-labour’, the enterprising employer manages to escape punitive action by conveniently producing a false age-certificate from physicians.

The authorities are left high and dry because the employer has proof that the child is above the legal-limit of 14 years.

The authorities have been grappling, rather unsuccessfully, with this ‘ingenuity’ of the employers. Numerous employers, in the past, have managed to escape ‘unpunished’ because of this loophole in the system. Authorities confirmed that 60 out of 100 such cases invariably fall-through because of false certificates.

With such instances becoming frequent, authorities have decided to take-up the issue head-on with health authorities.

The Labour Department has made it mandatory for all employers to produce medical-certificates from physicians working in Government hospitals including Employees State Insurance (ESI) hospitals.

Letters, requesting health authorities, to reign-in on erring doctors were also issued from the Labour Department. Already the District Medical and Health Officer of Ranga Reddy district, was approached for help on this issue.

The managements of ESI hospitals have also been approached by the department.

Fool-proof plan

Such cases are rather frequent in city outskirts, especially from Ranga Reddy district, authorities reveal. “Even an untrained-eye can conclude that physically the kid is not above 14 years but on paper he does. Physicians do not even hesitate to certify an under-aged child fit to work in hazardous conditions. We are coming out with a fool-proof plan against this,” official from the department points out.

“The idea is to make it mandatory for employers to get age and medical certificates only from Government and ESI hospital doctors. We are also approaching Indian Medical Association to request them to take action on doctors who are giving false-certificates,” the department official informed.