The modification of the criteria for classification in degrees of invalidity, announced today by the Ministry of Labor, gives people with HIV/AIDS in Cohorta 1987-1995, who have lost their right to retire, the opportunity to regain this right. Changes are also regarding infected persons after 1995.
The conditions of classification in the degree of invalidity for HIV/AIDS are modified photo: Archive
Starting with 2023 (after in December 2022 the criteria for classification were modified), some of the people infected with HIV or AIDS patients classified as invalidity remained without allowances. Others, in order to continue in the new thresholds (it was especially the threshold of a certain medical indicator – “CD4 criterion”), they gave up treatment, although it is a relatively small amount, about 1,200 lei. Doctors at that time drew attention to the huge dangers to which these patients are subjected. At that time, the problem of changing criteria was raised so that for the infected persons in the last years of communism and in the first years after 1990, that is, those in Cohorta 1987-1995 (approximately 5,500 people), no longer require any threshold for classification in Invalidity degree, starting from the reality that these people have crossed a difficult time and could not complete their professional training so that they can easily fit into work.
“Those in the cohort did not have the way to lead a proper training life, as such, when we talk about the fact that they are now virological and immunological does not mean that they can be hired. That no one hires them. And then, for these people who are from the cohort, the state has the obligation – as we had the obligation, at the time, to do them well as quickly as possible – to ensure a decent living. Such criteria should not be applied to them. (…) They suffered enough To give them another slap on the face ”, He drew the attention of Prof. Adrian Streinu-Cercel in a debate organized in December 2023.
Another modification announced now is related to the possibility of those who are in the degree of invalidity to work. The director of the National Union of Organizations of Persons affected by HIV/AIDS (UNOPA), Iulian Petre, detailed, in a post on the Facebook account, what changes were approved by Government Decision. The Government decision is to be published in the Official Gazette.
“As a result of the efforts made by UNOPA and with the support of the Health Commission of the Senate of Romania (Mr. Senator Prof. Dr. Adrian Streinu Cercel), with the support of the Infectious Diseases Commission of the Ministry of Health, with the support of doctors from all over the country, with the support of the Institute of Expertise of work capacity with support to people living with HIV who claimed the injustice of the old criteria, the criteria have modified so that several people living with HIV need to be supported (the CD4 threshold has increased at 500, the HIV infected children cohort has appropriate criteria for the serious situation by which they have last).
Average functional deficiency, adaptive incapacity 50-69%
• Clinical forms of HIV/AIDS infection associated with CD4 cell values between 200-499 cel/mmc.
• Sequels according to the infectious/non-infectious complications occurring during the evolution, with the involvement of at least one organ/system at an average level of severity according to the criteria from the respective conditions.
• Clinical forms of HIV/AIDS infection with disorders, but without limiting, neurocognitive dysfunctions or other mental limitations, myositis, polyneuropathy, coronary disease, chronic liver, renal, metabolic syndrome, osteoporosis, non -social cancers.
Accentuated functional deficiency, adaptive incapacity 70-89%
• The forms of HIV/ AIDS infection associated with CD4 values below 200 cel/ MMC and/ or with AIDS specific clinical manifestations.
• BMI below 17 kg/m2, HB below 8g/dl.
• Sequelae after post-infectious or non-infectious complications occurring during evolution, involving at least one organ/ system at an accentuated level of severity according to the criteria from the respective conditions.
Serious functional deficiency, adaptive incapacity 90-100%
• Serious clinical manifestations of AIDS’s disease and those with post-infectious or non-infectious complications with serious general condition with cachexia
• Serious sequelae after post-infectious or non-infectious complications occurred during the evolution of AIDS
• All HIV/AIDS clinical-immunological forms for infected personal personnel belonging to “1987-1995 cohort”.
For the medical expertise of the work capacity, the medical documents will distinct distinctly the connection between the diagnosis of the disease and the epidemiological accident from 1987-1995 ”, Iulian Petre detailed.
At this moment, explained the director of UNOPA, for “Adevărul”, the people interested in these new changes are waiting to see if the National Institute of Medical Expertise and Recovery of Work Capacity will establish a unitary procedure to grant these rights. Many people affected by HIV/AIDS and framed in the rank of invalidity want to work, but they can only do this on the basis of a medical opinion from the expert doctor.
