The Concessions Mela was a success at one level. Just about everyone got their certificates. The clerks who came along with the doctors were busy from the moment they arrived, and it was hard work. They barely got a chance to breathe, let alone look up from their papers, stretch their legs or sip a cup of tea.

But while we appreciated their efforts, and we were delighted with the results (nothing like getting a certificate after waiting for hours!), what happened in the days leading up to the mela was an outrage.

The date for the event had been decided by the Chief Medical Officer weeks beforehand and had been communicated to the doctors well in advance. But right up until the morning of the mela, we were unsure whether they would actually attend. The day before, several doctors informed Shipra that they had no intention of coming, and their behavior was both rude and insulting. Shipra said she had never in her life been spoken to as they spoke to her.

It was only with enormous effort and diplomacy that she was able to persuade them to make an appearance. As a professional, she was able to take their ill-mannered comments in her stride but for parents already hassled and upset by thir child’s disability, such treatment is unforgivable.

We were not asking for favors. Granting of disability certificates is part of the doctors’ job, for which we, as taxpayers, pay them. Camps such as the one we organized are also part of their mandate and in fact, are welcomed because it helps them spend the money they have allocated for the purpose and never used (though this didn’t stop them hinting that a little “gift” would not go amiss).

As citizens, we have a right to expect courteous treatment and the prompt issuance of the certificates we are entitled to.