Haryana Cabinet approves State Rules under HIV/AIDS Act, 2017, ensuring free treatment, rights protection, and appointment of Ombudsmen for grievance redressal.
The Haryana Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini, convened today to approve the establishment of State Rules under Sub-section (1) of Section 49 of the HIV/AIDS (Haryana Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) (Prevention and Control) Act, 2017.
The Haryana Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Rules, 2025, will be the name of the new regulations.
Under these regulations, the State Government will designate the Commissioners of its six administrative divisions to serve as Ombudsmen. Their responsibility, as delineated in Section 23 of the Act, is to address the grievances and complaints of individuals living with HIV/AIDS. The Civil Surgeon of the relevant district will provide assistance to each Ombudsman as they operate within their respective divisions—Rohtak, Hisar, Karnal, Gurugram, Faridabad, and Ambala.
The State Government will implement the requisite measures to enhance diagnostic facilities and guarantee the management of opportunistic infections, which are infections that have the potential to impair immunity. Free diagnostic services will be offered at all government health institutions, such as Sub Health Centres, Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres, Civil Hospitals, District Hospitals, and Medical College Hospitals. Furthermore, ART Centres, Facility-Integrated ART (FIART) Centres, and Link ART (LART) Centres will provide free Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) medications to all HIV-positive individuals in accordance with the guidelines of the National AIDS Control Organization.
The private medical sector will be actively engaged by the government in the provision of diagnostic and treatment services to HIV-positive individuals, ensuring that these services are provided without any form of discrimination. Private healthcare providers will be instructed to report all HIV-positive cases to the nearest Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre or Government Hospital for further management and treatment, while rigorously adhering to the human rights of individuals, including the right to privacy. Furthermore, the State AIDS Control Society will be instructed to ensure that all government health facilities are equipped to diagnose and treat opportunistic infections in accordance with the guidelines established by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
Additionally, these regulations establish the tasks and obligations of the Ombudsman, with an emphasis on safeguarding the rights and entitlements of children, persons, and individuals living with HIV.