Govt to Issue BPL Cards to All HIV +ve Patients
By Express News Service - THIRUVANANTHAPURAM | 15th May 2014
The government has decided to issue BPL cards within 60 days to all HIV infected patients.
In a meeting attended by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Health Minister V S Sivakumar and Social Justice Minister M K Muneer at the Secretariat, it was announced that the government had formulated several policies to protect the 8,227 HIV positive patients in the state.
For patients undergoing Anti-retroviral Treatment (ART), the monthly aid has been increased from Rs 400 to Rs 1,000.
Kerala State AIDS Control Society will be entrusted with a corpus fund of Rs 3 crore towards this purpose, according to a release.
"Children of HIV patients will be provided free education and scholarships. There will be no age limit for pensions given to widows of AIDS patients," it said.
All tests will be free for HIV infected patients in the labs run by hospital management committees in various government hospitals.
In case a hospital doesn't have the provision for a particular test, the government will take measures to reimburse the money spent on tests.
To ensure the financial security of HIV patients, the Social Justice Department will introduce self-employment schemes. The government is also envisaging a housing project for them.
Medicines that are not available at the eight ART centres in the state will be made available through Kerala Medical Services Corporation. In the eight ART centres in the state, counsellors to implement Social Justice Schemes through single window clearance would be appointed. Schemes to provide nutritious food would be re-introduced in all ART centres, according to the release.
Special training will be given to those willing to provide nursing care to HIV patients.
AIDS awareness will be part of the school curriculum.
The Social Justice Department will protect the rights of HIV patients, through a health centre to be established in Kochi. The government has also decided that once in three months, the Chief Minister, Health Minister and Social Justice Minister would meet to analyse the issues which affect HIV patients.
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