JOIN USFew HIV patients opt for housing facility
Only five beneficiaries with HIV had availed the benefit of government's housing scheme meant for HIV patients in Dakshina Kannada district.
District AIDS Prevention and Control Unit (DAPCU) District Supervisor Savita Hegde told DH that as the society considers HIV as a taboo, the patients hesitate to come forward to avail the facility with the fear that their identity may be revealed and that they may be looked down upon by others.
State government, through the Karnataka State Aids Prevention Society (KSAPS), has been implementing the scheme for the past seven years. The yearly target under the scheme is fixed at 27 beneficiaries. Under the scheme, 1.5 cents land along with 1.20 lakh subsidy is provided to the eligible. Widows and those residing in rented houses get priority.
Many among the nearly 100 applications were rejected as the applicants did not have documents such as Aadhaar card. Such cases were referred to the NGOs working for the welfare of HIV patients. The NGOs help HIV patients avail Aadhar card and other necessary documents, Savita said.
DAPCU supervisor said the government is providing nutritious food to 598 infected children (323 boys and 275 girls) below 15 years of age under 'Vishesha Palana Yojane'. They also receive a monthly assistance of Rs 1000 to meet the expenses like nutritious food and other medical treatment expenses.
There are 2,469 children in the district who are not HIV infected, but their parents are HIV positive, she said.
Officials had submitted a request to the government on providing assistance to such children as well.
A representative from a NGO told DH that even though there are many HIV patients in rural areas, they do not come forward to apply at the local gram panchayats.
Therefore, the administration should provide a facility for such people by setting up a single window system. The representative also requested the government to increase the house subsidy for HIV infected.
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