Maharashtra plans policy for AIDS patients

Workplace rules to prevent discrimination against HIV positive patients.

Maharashtra will become a first state to adopt the workplace policy to prevent discrimination against HIV positive patients as the policy will be implemented from January 1, 2007, announced state public health minister Vimal Mundada.

Addressing the press conference here on Monday, Mundada said, "under the policy the guidelines for employment, promotions, transfers and other departmental procedures will be formulated to ensure HIV positives are not discriminated against at the state government offices and government run corporations, co-operative institutes and local self government institutions in the state.

Even if it is found that, during mandatory medical test before any person is appointed in the government job, that he or she is HIV positive, this fact will not become obstacle in him getting the job, Mundada assured.

She further said, "he or she will not be denied promotion because of their HIV positive status and they will be given all the responsibilities like their any other colleagues until they became medically unfit to carry out their duties.

Under the policy, guidelines will be issued to maintain top most secrecy to departmental heads about the status of HIV positive government employee and anyone who deliberately found violating the guidelines, a strict action will be taken against that departmental head, She claimed.

Besides this, after any person who becomes medically unfit because of his or her HIV positive status, that person will be given medical leave from the job, She added.

She further said, "we are going to write the letters to industry orgaciaonisations like CII, FICCI, ASSToOCHAM etc. to ask their member companies to adopt progressive work place policy like the state government".