Sindh CM approves Rs1bn fund for HIV patients

Fund to be used for the welfare and rehabilitation of patients

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has approved a Rs1 billion endowment fund for the welfare of HIV/AIDS-affected persons in the province and also constituted a six-member committee to manage the fund.

The chief minister, along with Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had visited the Ratodero Taluka Hospital, where a large number of HIV/AIDS cases have been diagnosed.

The CM said that it was an unfortunate situation, especially for minor children who would have a lifelong disease that required continuous treatment and prospects of rehabilitation.

He said that in order to resolve the problem, the provincial government on the advice of the PPP Chairman Zardari, has decided to establish an endowment fund with an allocation of Rs1 billion for fiscal year, 2019-20.

The fund would be managed by a six-member committee, headed by the health minister, while its members would be a local MPA or MNA of Larkana division, to be nominated by the chief minister, a representative of finance department having experience of investment management, an expert on infectious diseases, a philanthropist or social worker operating in that area and the additional secretary (Technical) of the health department.

The terms of reference of the committee shall be to bring initiatives and schemes for the welfare of HIV/AIDS-affected persons, to roll out different measures for the rehabilitation, long-term welfare and financial well-being of the affected persons and their families, measures for improving awareness of this contagious disease in general and particularly among high-risk groups.

The endowment fund will be named 'Investment Fund for Rehabilitation and Welfare of HIV/AIDS infected persons in Sindh'. The chief minister has delegated the management of investments of the fund to the finance department, whereby officials of the Finance Department shall exercise signing authority with respect to the management of such investment. However, expenditures from this fund shall be made only under the authorisation of the committee for which the office of health secretary will have a separate bank account in which the finance department will remit the funds, as per requisition of the health department.

The CM said that his government was committed to rehabilitate the affected patients, particularly the children.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 25^th, 2019.