HIV-positive employees to get two years' leave

Employees State Insurance Corporation Joint Director Satyamurthy announced this during the first stakeholders dialogue on STI and HIV prevention among workforce on Saturday.

The meeting organised by NGO Sankalp and ESIC was aimed at analysing the progress made by the NGO in the last one year and whether it made any difference in amongst the workers.

Eleven programme welfare officers from 11 industries in Bommanahalli and Peenya were felicitated for their initiative in the field. A pilot project has been implemented to create awareness and to prevent discrimination against HIV positive workers in the 11 industries.  

According to the NGO, the mobile ICTC labs cover 27 industrial units, where out of 1,0707 HIV tests, 57 were positive. The NGO has been able to identify 83 people with HIV and have been following 340 people already affected by the virus, till now. It has also created awareness in 143 industries.