Re: Emergency meeting on the exploitation of positive women in Chadigarh

December 19, 2007

Dear Forum

This is a shocking news coming in newspapers from last three days about Women

living with HIV being sexually abused at PGIMER, Chandigarh. I condem this

inhuman act of sexual exploitation of socially and economically weaker women by

unscurplus elements who also happen to be the staff of PGI.

An F.I.R. should be registered by the police in this case and the real culprits

should be punished quickly so that such incidents are not repeated again. The

concerned authorities should also make a quick and thorough inquiry into this

serious matter and take departmental action against the guilty without any bias

against anybody.

What has happened in this case so far is that an outreach worker who is

incidently also HIV+ has been made the scapegoat and removed from his job in a

knee jerk reaction to the news published in the local newspapers. This seams

like a cover up for the misdeeds of some other people by putting all the blame

on one person who himself is vulnerable to discrimination.

This kind of incidents may happen again if the people living with HIV are not

socially and economically empowered. The Government should take note that only

opening new ART centers is not the solution. Yes more ART centers are required

for the universal access of tratment but if the concerned person is unable to

reach ART center due to economic reasons then the whole purpose of delivering

Anti-retroviral Therapy fails.

So first of all the state governments of Haryana & Punjab should consider making

free traveling facility available to all those who are already recieving ART

treatment so that these patients (including women & HIV+ Children) are not lost

to follow up because they cannot afford to travel upto ART center every month

because the transport costs are unaffordable for them.

These patients who are registered for ART treatment should also be included in

the schemes for Below poverty line families implemented by Center and State

Governments like Anantodaya Ann Yojna and Atta-Dal Scheme (Punjab) so that they

have access to food along with access to treatment.

In solidedarity with people living with HIV/AIDS.

With regards

Sarbjit Singh

KIRAN HELPLINE FOR HIV+

CHANDIGARH

e-mail: <kiran14206@...>

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