Motor giant DaimlerChrysler South Africa (DCSA) has promised to extend treatment and monitoring of Aids-suffering staff members and their families who have been made redundant by operational requirements.
This decision makes DCSA the first South African company and only the second corporate in the world to extend such treatment to staff members. The other company is Heineken in Germany. Announcing the management board’s decision at the company’s annual business results meeting in Pretoria on Thursday, DCSA management board member for human resources, Johann Evertse said the company’s Aids programme was still regarded as a benchmark in the world.
”This is an extension of that programme and the decision to implement it was finalised last week,” said Evertse.
”When people suffering from Aids leave a company, they sign their death sentence,” he said.
”To extend the treatment programme is a significant step from our side in the fight against Aids.”
DCSA chairman Christoph Kopke said the treatment would cost the company about R10 500 per person annually. He said the focus was only on staff members who had qualified for the Aids programme.
Panter said a study had shown that there were 450 people living with Aids in the organisation.
”Of those, 180 had registered with the medical aid, while 85 were receiving antiretroviral treatment.
”If any staff member loses his or her job through redundancy as a result of operational requirements, we will pick up the tab for the drugs and monitoring required for treatment until such time the state implements antiretroviral treatment in public hospitals,” he said. – Sapa