Armed forces: There is no pension for personnel living with HIV

[Guest guest]

[Moderators note: It has been documented that HIV positivity rate is 0.40, 0.45

and 0.04 per thousand in Army, Navy and Air Force respectively (Wg Cdr J

Mukhopadhya, Gp Capt SC Kabra 2006). According to the Medical Journal Armed

Forces India, the Official Publication of Armed Forces Medical services, the

Indian armed forces have over 5000 cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

infection since 1990. (Wg Cdr S Shankar, Lt Col RS Chatterji, Brig N Ray

Chaudary, Col LR Sharma, Lt Col SP Gorth, Lt Col K Shanmuganandan, 2006)

Ref:(Available from the moderator)

Wg Cdr J Mukhopadhya, Gp Capt SC Kabra (2006) Socio Behavioural Profile of HIV

Positive DSC Personnel. -MJAFI 2006; 62 : 328-331

Wg Cdr S Shankar, Lt Col RS Chatterji, Brig N Ray Chaudary, Col LR Sharma, Lt

Col SP Gorthi, Lt Col K Shanmuganandan (2006). Partner Counselling and Referral

Services (PCRS) for HIV in Armed Forces - Visiting a Blind Spot. MJAFI 2006; 62

: 367-369]

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Joining the forces? You will have to test HIV negative before you are in

Anuradha Mascarenhas: Posted online: Monday, October 23, 2006 at

0000 hrs

PUNE, OCTOBER 22 : Candidates applying to the armed forces may soon

have to face mandatory pre-recruitment HIV testing.

" The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) and Chief of Staff

Committee have given the green signal. A letter from the government

is expected soon, " Surg Vice Admiral V K Singh, Director General, Armed Forces

Medical Services (DGAFMS), told The Indian Express.

Already, 96 nodal centres across the country have been identified to conduct the

HIV tests, he said.

" Around 50-60,000 people apply for recruitment and even if 300 are infected with

HIV, we cannot take the risk, " he pointed out, adding that such a policy has

already been implemented in the US and UK.

The armed forces' aggressive policy against HIV has been paying dividends in the

past few years. Against 31deaths due to AIDS in 2003, there were only four

deaths in 2004.

" Last year was a record as there were no deaths due to AIDS. And till today, we

have no reports of any such fatality in the services.

This year there are 30 service personnel living with HIV — nine are

in the Air Force, five in the Navy and rest in the Army, " he said.

" What we are objecting to is not getting infected with HIV. But

hiding it is a crime in the armed forces, " he said.

There is no medical pension for personnel living with HIV. Full blown cases of

AIDS are sent out of service with the armed forces

taking care of the cost of treatment.

anuradha.mascarenhas@...

http://www.indianexpress.com/story/15142.html