The Bombay High Court on Thursday directed an NGO to approach Collectors of Sangli and Satara seeking permission to travel to JJ Hospital for anti-retroviral therapy (ART) drugs to HIV-positive patients from these two districts after all services got suspended because of the 21-day lockdown.
A single bench of justice KK Tated was hearing an application filed by Veshya AIDS Muquabla Parishad is a voluntary organisation working with HIV+persons at Sangli and Kolhapur and works closely with Maharashtra State AIDS Society.
The application is filed on behalf of HIV positive persons who are residents of Sangli and Satara and are having to travel to JJ Hospital in Mumbai for their 3rd Line ART treatment.
It seeks reliefs for providing Antiretroviral treatment drugs to HIV positive persons at Sangli and Satara, amidst intercity travel restrictions in wake of orders imposed by State government to control the rapid spread of COVID 19.
ART treatment came to be provided for free of cost as the Constitutional Courts were cognizant of the exorbitant costs associated with ART treatment and the fact that many of those inneed of ART Treatment are unable to afford the same.
The application is part of a public interest litigation filed by NGO Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao seeking food security, transit accommodation, access to water and sanitation, access to health services, access to correct information for daily wage workers, domestic workers, manual scavenging workers, street vendors and their families.
The bench has directed the authorities to decide on their request expeditiously.
