NAGPUR: A large number of students suffering from sickle cell disease may not benefit from the facility of 20 minutes extra time per hour, which was granted to them by the government on May 31, 2013, due to lack of awareness among them. The first lot of students who would be affected are those from HSC (exams from Wednesday) and SSC (March 3).

The schools, the state board and the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) authorities too are to be blamed as they have not put in the required effort to pass on the information to the beneficiaries.

As per the GR, sickle cell patients (SS pattern - meaning suffering from disease) will be given 20 minutes extra time per hour in both X and XII examinations provided they produce a certificate issued by the district civil surgeon.

The Sickle Cell Society of India (SCSI) president Sampat Ramteke, who has been crusading for sickle cell patients for more than 25 years now, told TOI that the government order came after years of pursuing the case. "But, now, it is the job of the state board and NRHM authorities to take the message to the beneficiaries. But unfortunately many students both in cities and rural areas are not aware of this facility. Many told me that their schools had not passed any information to them," he said.

Ramteke took up the issue seriously when the father of a girl student from the city told him that the junior college where she was studying had circulated the GR and that the principal was not aware of it. He complained about the Nagpur board office's negligence to the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and High Secondary Education office in Pune. "They should allow the SS students to avail this facility even if they produce the card of State Blood Transfusion Council or the red card provided by the NRHM," he said.

The Nagpur board secretary Anil Pardhi told TOI that this was not possible for several reasons. He, however, agreed to allow sickle cell students to avail the extra time provided they produce a certificate from the civil surgeon at the time of examination. "It's quite likely that the schools have not informed students about the GR even though we have sent it to all. Yet, we are prepared to give the concession," he said.

NRHM school health in-charge Dr Sadhana Tayade said her department had done the job of identifying the beneficiaries and blamed the board for not implementing the GR properly.

TOI spoke to parents of three beneficiaries - one from Gadchiroli and three from Nagpur district including one from a city school - who claimed that they were not told about the rule in schools. But they did not want to share their names as they feared victimization from schools.

