Govt must protect AIDS patients' rights: Sorabjee

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Govt must protect AIDS patients' rights: Sorabjee

PTI [ THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2002 11:18:41 PM ]

NEW DELHI: Emphasising that the Constitution imposes an obligation on

the government to adopt measures to protect the rights of an HIV

infected person, Attorney General Soli Sorabjee on Thursday said the

Apex Court should take a proactive stand on this issue and give

directions.

" If some PIL comes up on this issue, I will support it. Article 21 of

the Constitution imposes an obligation on the state to adopt positive

measures to protect their (HIV infected persons) rights, " Sorabjee

said at the " Colloquim on HIV/AIDS: The Law and Ethics " .

Lamenting the lack of a comprehensive legislation on National Public

Health which penalises discrimination of HIV infected persons, he

said " waiting for it is of no use. The Supreme Court should take a

proactive stand on this issue and give directions. "

Pointing out that India has over 3.9 million HIV positive people, the

second largest in the world, Supreme Court Judge Justice Kirpal urged

doctors, lawyers and the media to educate the people about the AIDS.

Justice Kirby of the High Court of Australia criticised the

attitude of the society towards the HIV positive and said the

governments should make efforts in sensitising the society and must

allocate more money to tackle the disease.

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