Patan municipality to provide nutritional support for HIV-positive residents

Baitadi: Patan Municipality in Baitadi will continue providing nutritional support to HIV-positive residents in the current fiscal year. The municipality, which has been offering such assistance since fiscal year 2079/80, has allocated a budget of Rs 100,000 for this purpose.

According to Madan Singh Mahara, Chief of the municipality's Health Department, there are currently 36 HIV-positive individuals within the municipal area who will benefit from the allocated support.

Previously, in fiscal year 2079/80, HIV-positive individuals received three-day vocational training and in-kind support of Rs 12,000 per person. In fiscal year 2080/81, they were provided Rs 6,000 per person as nutritional support, and last year, 35 individuals were supported at a rate of Rs 5,007 per person, Mahara stated.

Mayor Gauri Singh Rawal said the budget has been allocated to ease the lives of HIV-positive residents.

It is reported that other local levels in the district have not allocated separate budgets for HIV-positive individuals, prompting complaints that their needs are being overlooked by other municipalities.