dehradun over a year ago the state had agreed to provide free travel passes to aids patients however the move has been stuck in limbo till date reportedly because the transport corporation is yet to come to an agreement with the health department over the costs involved more than 6000 patients all over uttarakhand will benefit if the move is implemented patients and their immediate families have to travel to haldwani or dehradun the only places where antiretroviral therapy art for treating the disease is conducted the long commutes are taxing for the infirm expressing concern state health minister s s negi directed the uttarakhand state aids control society usacs to come up with a plan to allow patients from financially weaker backgrounds easy access to the art centres most patients below poverty line avoid the trips for they cannot afford the expenses i hope the scheme will be implemented as soon as possible said negi a round trip to one of the two art centres costs anywhere between rs 500 to rs 1000 per person depending on the distance reportedly usacs tried to implement the scheme last year and even sent an estimate for the purpose to the transport corporation however the estimated figures were allegedly much higher than needed the estimate quoted an amount in excess of rs 45 lakhs patients travel to art centres just once in a month or two to collect medicines in fact these days there are link art centres in every district so only a handful will travel to dehradun or haldwani said an official on condition of anonymity according to sources the transport corporation asked the health department to reimburse the amount spent on the free tours a proposition the department refuse indeed the government is providing us the medication but many of us cannot travel to the art centres to access the facilities at times a patient is too weak to even stand straight let alone travel to the hospital said a patient participating in a rally organized on occasion of world aids day on monday