Does the Railway Concession make a difference?

[Guest guest]

*Does the Railway Concession make a difference?*

Nagpur, July 17

" The railway gives 50 per cent or 75 per cent concession to patients

suffering from cancer, kidney failure, thallesemia and physically challenged

persons in sleeper class, AC II, AC III and even in AC 1 (after paying fare

differences), to go to hospitals in various parts of the country for treatment.

key concerns of MPWN+ are:

1. Does this decision mean, that people living with HIV AIDS are meant

to travel only in general compartment? How can the ministry differentiate with

us when it comes to give fare concession to us, the people living with HIV AIDS.

2. Concessions for patients suffering from cancer, kidney failure,

thallesemia and physically challenged persons are to go to hospitals in various

parts of the country for their treatment, but why with people living with HIV

AIDS concessions are given only to ART centers and not for other treatments

related with OIs

3. HIV AIDS estimate in India accounts over 40% of women, besides this

most women are widowed because of HIV AIDS, but the concessions doesn't cover

even the Women's compartment

4. Suppose an orphan child living with HIV AIDS is on ARV and needs to

travel every month to ARV centers, concessions are not provided for grand

parents or relatives; if the concession is only for the children on ART how can

the effectiveness of ARV and adherence can be assured if the grand parent or

relative of the child is burdened with travel cost?

5. If those on ART are suffering from any other Opportunistic Infections that

makes them weak, how can we travel on the ever crowded, crushed general

compartment?

voices of women and children living with HIV from Maharastra Positive Women

Network (MPWN+)

Hoping for Justice in Railway Concession

In solidarity

Varsha Gaikwad

President, MPWN+ Nagpur

e-mail: <mpwnplus@...>