With the spread of the infection across the country, there will be a sharp increase in the number of HIV-infected persons in the society. They will be belonging to different social strata and from various economic backgrounds. Apart from providing counseling before declaring the HIV status, the Government would try to ensure the social and economic well being of these people by ensuring (a) protection of their right to privacy and other human rights, and (b) proper care and support in the hospitals and in the community.

The HIV-positive person should be guaranteed equal rights to education and employment as other members of the society. HIV status of a person should be kept confidential and should not in any way affect the rights of the person to employment, his or her position at the workplace, marital relationship and other fundamental rights.

HIV-positive women should have complete choice in making decisions regarding pregnancy and child birth. There should be no forcible abortion or even sterilisation on the ground of HIV status of women. Proper counseling should be given to the pregnant women for enabling her to take an appropriate decision either to go ahead with or terminate the pregnancy.

The Government would actively encourage and support formation of self-help groups among the HIV-infected persons for group counseling, home care and support of their members and their families. Social action through participation of NGOs would be encouraged and supported for this purpose.

As regards the treatment, care and support for PLWAs, the policy is to build up a continuum of comprehensive care comprising of clinical management, nursing care, counseling and socio-economic support through home-based care. Resources from Government and private sectors will be mobilised for this purpose.

Government would initiate intensive advocacy and sensitisation among doctors, nurses and other paramedical workers so that PLWAs are not discriminated, stigmatised or denied of services. Government expresses serious concern at instances of denial of medical treatment by doctors in their clinics, nursing homes and in hospitals which is causing enhanced stigmatisation to the PLWAs. With updated knowledge available on the risks or absence of risk of HIV transmission, such denial of medical care to needy victims is regrettable. The Government would expect the health service sector to rise to the occasion and display necessary concern for the welfare of the community of PLWAs and ensure proper medical care and attention. The professional organisations of medical and paramedical health workers should disseminate information about HIV/AIDS to their members up to the field level. Training of health personnel in diagnosis, rational treatment and for follow up of HIV-related illness should continue with greater vigour.

An efficient referral system would be established starting from testing centres and counseling sites to hospitals or clinics, community-based services and home-based care. PLWAs would be given adequate information for home care in the form of books and documents to enable them to lead a healthier life and to promote self-help.

Clinical management of HIV/AIDS requires strict enforcement of biosafety and infection control measures in the hospitals as per the universal safety precaution guidelines. Treatment of AIDS cases do not require any specialised equipment than what is necessary for treatment of the opportunistic infections arising out of HIV/AIDS. Hospitals are required to keep adequate supply of biosafety equipments to be utilised by medical and paramedical personnel while treating HIV-infected persons. Government would adequate supply of these equipments and also essential drugs for treatment of the opportunistic infections. Adequate facilities would also be created for proper disposal of plastic and other wastes and injecting needles used for treatment of HIV-infected persons.