Kripa Foundation Nagaland urges government to appoint HIV/AIDS ombudsman

Dimapur, April 26 (EMN): Kripa Foundation Nagaland has requested the state government to fast track the appointment of HIV/AIDS ombudsman as mentioned in the Nagaland State HIV Rules 2019.

In a letter to the Principal and Secretary, Law and Justice, Government of Nagaland, the non–governmental organisation (NGO) working in the field of addiction and HIV/AIDS stated that the state’s HIV Rules “provide for the appointment, terms and conditions, qualifications and manner of inquiry by the Ombudsman”.

The foundation mentiond the notification issued by the Governor of Nagaland on March 3, 2020, announcing “the Nagaland Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired immune Deficiency Syndrome (Ombudsman and legal proceeding) Rule 2019, with immediate effect” in exercise of the powers conferred under the HIV/AIDS (Prevention and Control) Act 2017

“Indisputably, the ‘appointment’ of an Ombudsman is the first step towards operationalising the implementation of the HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Act, 2017 (hereinafter “HIV Act”) and the aforesaid Rules in the State of Nagaland,” read the letter.

It stated that the state government was supposed to appoint ombudsman within 180 days of the date of notification but the timeline had already expired.

Reminding that the ombudsman should be “a retired district and session judge, or anyone who has minimum 10 years working experience having extensive knowledge in matters relating to public health or health delivery system, or a qualified healthcare provider who is a physician, or a person working in NGO with similar experience and knowledge”, it said appointing a “qualified and independent ombudsman under the HIV Act will go a long way in preventing stigma, discrimination, exploitation and an environment of fear experienced by PLHIVs in Nagaland”.

“It will also help achieve the laudable objective of the HIV Act, which is to ‘prevent and control the spread of the HIV epidemic and protect the human rights of persons affected by it’,” the letter added.

The foundation went on to state that the state’s Law and Justice department “has a moral and legal obligation to appoint a full time ombudsman to protect PLHIVs with an independent, objective and neutral in his/her dealing and judgement” and requested “to give an open advertisement immediately” for recruitment of the official.