PLHIV appeal for 30 pc reservation
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, July 11 2014 : People living with HIV today appealed to all the 60 MLAs of the State to discuss their issues and problems in the ongoing Assembly Session.

Speaking to media persons at a press meet organised by the Christian Network of Positive Women Manipur, Self Support Group and Platform of Positive Women (PPW) under the WAD HIV/AIDS Programme at Manipur Press Club this afternoon, PPW secretary appealed to all the 60 MLAs of the State to discuss common issues and problems of people living with HIV during the ongoing Assembly session with the objective of initiating certain welfare programmes for them in view of the Government and society's apathy towards them.

She also said that the people living with HIV have been enduring several hardships including the ones caused by absence of adequate number of ART centres.

She urged the concerned authority to open more ART Centre in different parts of the State.

In June this year, one HIV infected patient from Jiribam was admitted at JNIMS for treatment but the patient being poverty-stricken could not bear the fees of the hospital.

Subsequently, some PLHIVs went for a donation drive to a few leaders of the State and the leaders responded quite generously.

Members of the WAD HIV/AIDS Program appealed for installation of a donation boxes at the quarters of Ministers and MLAs specifically for emergency medical requirements.

She also appealed for allotment of Rastriya Swasthya Bima Yojana cards to the women and widows living with HIV for free treatment of Hepatitis-C every district hospital of the state, inclusion of PLHIV women and widows who are accessing ART in the nutrition supplement programmes under Social Welfare Department, installation of Viral load test machines in government hospitals, 30 percent reservation seat for PLHIVs as staff workers in the ART centers, ensuring PLHIV friendly environment and staff at all ART centers and free laboratory test for PLHIVs.

The Government has opened ART centre sin every district dead quarters of the State but fails to give proper counselling to the ART patients and even ill-treated them when they went for ART to these centres, she alleged.

She also alleged that they failed to get support from the MACS as no program has been included for the women till date.

She further appealed to all relevant authorities to provide them whatever assistance they can as majority of the people living with HIV are poverty-stricken and stuggling hard for survival.

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