Lost hospital files may cost blind man NIS benefits

THE manager of the Blind Welfare Association in San Fernando is appealing for help as the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) has lost his medical file, which he needs urgently in order to access a disability grant.

Deonarine Ragoo, who used to be partially sighted, told Newsday he had an on-the-job accident which left him completely blind. He said he had emergency surgery at the SFGH on June 4, was hospitalised for a short while and on being discharged, was assigned to the eye clinic.

Ragoo said he got his NIS benefits after the accident but then learned there is another benefit for disabled people, based on an assessment and report by doctors. Ragoo, a former councillor on the Princes Town Regional Corporation, is due to retire after 40 years service to the Blind Welfare Association. So he sought to access this grant.

“That is what I am trying to get now, because that benefit is for life, once the doctors determine that I am further disabled, because I had vision and I am now totally blind. The doctors will have to verify that.” He said when he heard there was a three-month deadline to claim the benefit, he got the form and went to the hospital to get doctors to fill it out.

“I did not have an appointment, but I went to the eye clinic with my clinic card. I was told I had to make an appointment. I tried to explain the urgency of the situation and that the expiry date was close. They (clerks) told me they could not do it and they had to give me an appointment.

“That appointment was for October 1. On that date, I went about 9 am and was told by the clerks they could not entertain me – something about some emergency.” He sought the attention of another clerk who asked him to sit and “they would try to see what they could do.”

Ragoo waited for three hours, only to be told his medical records could not be found. “They took my cell number and promised to call me when they found my files.” He has heard nothing since. Ragoo said his next appointment is on October 29.

“I am in a quandary because I don’t know what will happen now. I am hoping that the NIS will honour my claim because they would see that I have been trying to get the documents from the hospital. "But this is very unfair to me. How many other people is this happening to,” he asked.

Acting CEO of the South West Regional Health Authority Dr Pravinde Ramoutar said sometimes the files get mixed up with another clinic and he promised to sort the matter out.