The Hindu 11.04.2013
Civic bodies set to take a ‘positive’ initiative
The government has announced guidelines for civic bodies to extend services and assistance to HIV-positive people.
Awareness campaign
Local bodies will coordinate activities such as organising awareness campaigns on transmission of HIV, identifying HIV-positive people, supplying nutritional food to victims, starting programmes to offer social and mental support to victims, initiating welfare activities, setting up adequate facilities at treatment centres and giving assistance to service providers.
As of now the Kerala Aids Control Society and the Health Department have been providing assistance to the HIV victims.
The guidelines have been prepared by the Kerala Institute of Local Administration and the Kerala Aids Control Society under the direction of the government.
P.P. Balan, director of KILA, said training would be provided to local bodies based on the guidelines.
“The local bodies can play a leading role in organising HIV detection camps, providing financial assistance to conduct laboratory tests and make available medicines and homecare facilities, setting up of social organisations for helping HIV victims and providing educational assistance for the children of HIV-positive people,” Mr. Balan said.
Civic bodies also could take the initiative in providing pension, unemployment wages, assistance under Asraya project, basic amenities like housing, toilets, electricity and drinking water, employment training and self-employment opportunities, he said. The guidelines suggest that local bodies can ensure quality services for HIV victims in hospitals under their control.
They can also provide infrastructure facilities for safety projects under the Kerala State Aids Control Society.
Monitoring committee
The guidelines also propose the setting up of a committee with the local body president as chairperson, health standing committee chairman as vice-chairman, medical officer as convenor, and two NGOs working in the field as members, to monitor and coordinate the implementation of activities. The District Planning committee will monitor the district-level activities. The district-level activities will be reviewed by a committee with district planning committee chairman as head and district collector as convenor.
Government prepares guidelines for civic bodies to extend assistance to HIV-positive people.
