Nobody would be denied treatment for AIDS in the country, the government announced on Tuesday as the Rajya Sabha passed the HIV and AIDS (Prevention And Control) Bill, 2014, with a voice vote.
"Test and treatment policy (with regard to AIDS) has been adopted by the government and we will ensure that nobody is denied treatment," Health and Family Welfare Minister J.P. Nadda told the Upper House while replying to a two-hour debate on the bill.
The bill seeks to prevent and control the spread of HIV and AIDS and prohibits discrimination against persons affected with the disease. It was first introduced in the Rajya Sabha on February 11, 2014, by the then Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.
Nadda moved the Bill in the house after the lunch recess and the members from across parties discussed it with enthusiasm.
The minister thanked all the members for their suggestions and assured the nation through the house that every possible effort would be made to control the spread of the virus and those affected would be treated well.
"All types of pro-active measures have been taken. Special care is being taken to deal with the affected," he said, adding that care is also being taken to ensure that the virus does not get transmitted through mother to child.
The minister said that Rs 2,000 crore have been allotted to the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) for the next financial year.
"Blood banks across the country are also being upgraded to end spread of the virus through blood transfusion," he said.
--IANS
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