Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, March 02 2009:
Self Support Group, a body of the widows living with HIV/AIDS today has demanded amendment of the Manipur AIDS policy 1996 stating that the policy is not suited with time and avail benefits to the infected people.
The co-convener of the body, Wanchu Jajo, in a briefing to the media persons today while demanding amendment to the AIDS policy of the state said that it should include provisions like pension scheme to the widows living with the disease, inclusion of representatives of the widows of the category in the committee or board looking after the implementation of the policy.
The proposed amendment should also have other provisions like making schemes for education to the children of the HIV/AIDS infected widows and reimbursement of fare to the widows administering ARTS, she demanded.
She also said that in the policy, opening of new ART Centres at the block and district level should also be included in the policy.
Justifying the demand of amending the state AIDS policy, Jajo further said that after the dead of their husbands, the widows with HIV/AIDS are facing ill-treatment and down look from their respective families.
In the midst of woe of ill-treatment, they are confronting various inconveniences in earning their livelihood.
Apart from this they are spending huge amount of money in conducting various tests and going to avail ART drugs from the ART Centres, she added.
A memorandum containing the demand of amendment of the policy has also submitted to the chief minister today, she said expressing confident that a positive response will be received at the earliest considering the grievances facing by the widows with HIV/AIDS.