Delhi govt to give pension to HIV patients,orphans

Later,Walia told Newsline,“We will process funds to grant a monthly pension of Rs 1,000 for all HIV positive patients registered in ART centres,and

Rs 1,650 will be granted monthly to HIV positive children.”

He said the government had traced 35 children who had been orphaned by HIV and were living with their grandparents or relatives. These children will all be granted a monthly pension of

Rs 2,500. The Health minister added that all diagnostic facilities,including radiological examinations like M RI and X-ray,will be made available free to HIV positive patients,he added.

“We have issued notifications to all hospitals to make all facilities free for HIV patients,”

Dr Walia said.

Speaking at a function to mark the day,Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit said,“This is only the beginning,if it appears that more money needs to be dispensed to People Living with HIV,we will issue additional funds.”

Members of Delhi Network of Positive people said it had taken two years of constant requests and consultations with government officials for these funds to be processed.

Hari Shankar,a member of the network,said,“We have been deliberating with the ministers for some time. Though the amount is not a lot,it is a beginning,and we are grateful to the government for whatever they have done.”

Union Health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad,who was the chief guest at the function said that withdrawal of international funds for the control of HIV,would not affect the national program.

“We will put in all the funds required from our own budget,but there will be no dilution in our efforts to control HIV,” Azad said.

He added that the Health ministry would work on clearing the ART Bill,that would bring in a law against discrimination of HIV patients. Activists have been protesting in the capital in the run up to the World AIDS Day,to demand the clearance of this bill.