Forced to cope with a slashed budget from the National AIDS Control organisation (NACO) and finding it difficult to meet miscellaneous expenditure, including salary payment of staff on deputation and contract, the Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society (KSAPS) has taken up cost-cutting measures.
They are expected to help KSAPS save nearly Rs. 3.53 crore a year. The plan is to move from a rented building on Crescent Road, which KSAPS was occupying since its inception in 2000, to the department-owned C.V. Raman General Hospital premises and repatriating some officials, who are on deputation from the Health Department, or getting the department pay their salaries. KSAPS is paying a total monthly rent of Rs. 5 lakh now.
The money thus saved will be used to pay the salaries of 172 counsellors and laboratory technicians, who have not been paid for the last six months after their contract expired. These employees, who were originally appointed on contract by the KSAPS, had been integrated with the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and their salaries were being paid through NRHM funds. However, the Centre refused to bear the salary component of NRHM-integrated employees and removed it from the Programme Implementation Plan of 2014-2015.
This had put the already cash-starved KSAPS in a fix. Although their contract had expired, their services were much needed as they were managing 86 Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres in primary heath centres and community health centres of which 69 centres had a case load of nearly 1,200. “We require their services to maintain and sustain the HIV/AIDS prevention programme and we need Rs. 3.7 crore to pay their salaries till March 2016,” said KSAPS project director S.G. Raveendra.
Sources said the proposal was to re-deploy these 172 employees under the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram so that their salaries can be paid through National Health Mission (NHM). “While NHM will bear Rs. 1.27 crore of the required Rs. 3.7 crore for their salaries, the remaining money will be adjusted from the money saved through cost-cutting measures,” the sources said.
Twenty-six programme officers heading the District AIDS Prevention and Control Units (DAPCUs) are likely to be repatriated to the Health Department or their salaries will be paid by the department.
They are expected to help it save nearly
Rs. 3.53 crore a year
