ILFS to run outreach clinics for HIV patients across India

August 13, 2010

[Editors note: The HIV stakeholders in India must know, what is the skills

and expertise of Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited (IL & FS), an

infrastructure development and finance company to run out reach work among

people living with HIV in India]

Now, ILFS to run outreach clinics for HIV patients across India

Raakhi Jagga

The Government of India has appointed Infrastructure Leasing and Financial

Services (ILFS) to engage outreach workers across the country to convince all

HIV Positive patients to get treatment in civil hospitals. Health Secretary

Satish Chandra, who was in Zira to participate in the state-level International

Youth Day programme, said this on Thursday.

These outreach workers are HIV Positive patients appointed by the National AIDS

Control Organisation (NACO) who go in the field and convince other such patients

to get treatment instead of hiding themselves and their disease.

The project was started by NACO in December 2007 but the outreach workers were

expelled from their jobs in December 2009 without being given any reason. They

were being paid a monthly salary of Rs 2,500.

Chandra said: " It's a Government of India project and the decision to appoint

outreach workers and expel them was taken by the Centre. But my office recently

received a communication that says an agreement has been signed by Government of

India with the ILFS to run this project.

It will be now run in a bigger way and more workers are likely to be appointed. "

In civil hospitals, HIV patients are given free treatment under the national

project.

In Punjab, six outreach workers were appointed and they were working under the

State AIDS Control Society. They have expressed willingness to provide their

services.

Satnam Singh Dhaliwal, president of the Universal Human Rights Commission, said:

" After the expulsion of outreach workers, the project has come to a standstill.

Patients still consider this a taboo and don't come forward for treatment

easily. The government must restart it at the earliest. "

According to Chandra, a total of 21,966 HIV cases have been registered in Punjab

since 1999. Dhaliwal, however, said the number could be more as all patients do

not come forward for treatment.

The health secretary said the department had plans to recruit 250 more doctors

and Rs 350 crore would be spent on the upgrade of facilities at medical

colleges. Apart from this, a Rs 5.5-crore budget has been sanctioned for Makhu

Civil Hospital in Zira constituency.

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