World AIDS Day function in Coimbatore
Health Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam (fifth right) releases a ready reckoner on HIV brought out by Internews Network, at the World AIDS Day function in Coimbatore on Saturday.Technical Health Advisor of the organisation Jaya Shreedhar receives the first copy.The Government has withdrawn the fee of Rs.10 charged at the Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres for people with HIV or AIDS, Health Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam announced at a World AIDS Day function here on Saturday.The services will, hereafter, be available free of cost, he said at the function organised by the Tamil Nadu AIDS Control Society (TANSACS). The Government would provide Rs.3 crore to the centres to procure medicines for treating HIV/AIDS patients for various ailments.It would also provide Rs.1 crore to purchase disposables for deliveries of HIV-infected women.All the centres would get computers at a total outlay of Rs.86 lakh.Mr. Panneerselvam said 198 counsellors and 196 laboratory technicians would be appointed to the centres. Each blood bank in district headquarters would get a counsellor.
The other announcements were: Rs.15 lakh to buy bed sheets, pillows and door mats for blood banks, Rs.5 lakhs for small construction works at the testing centres and blood banks and Rs.30 lakh to educate nurses at 24-hour primary health centres on HIV/AIDS.Six welfare centres for people affected by the disease would come up with participation from their associations.The Minister appreciated the role of non-Governmental organisations in sensitising people to what causes the disease. Some individuals, including doctors, had relegated their profession and possible gains to the background and assisted the Government in bringing down the incidence of HIV by 0.38 per cent through awareness drives.
Mr. Panneerselvam and Rural Industries Minister Pongalur N. Palanisamy gave away awards to individuals and organisations involved in the drive against HIV/AIDS.They included Director of Public Health T. Padmanabhan, AIDS Prevention and Control Project Director B. Chandramohan, Managing Director of Chandra Textiles Nandini Rangaswamy and Technical Advisor of Internews Network Jaya Shreedhar.The Ministers released a poster for public campaign and a ready reckoner on HIV for reporters.Mr. Palanisamy said the State led in the nation-wide campaign for HIV/AIDS prevention. Observing there was a good level of awareness on what caused the disease, he stressed the need to avoid ostracising the patients. He sought integrated treatment facilities.
Stating that over two lakh people in the State were HIV patients, Health Secretary V.K. Subburaj said the focus now was on preventing further spread of the disease.“The Government has allocated Rs.100 crore this year for awareness, purchase of equipment and appointment of doctors. No other disease has this much allocation. About 26,000 patients get anti-retroviral therapy from 26 integrated centres. Live with confidence and the Government will do its best to improve it,” he told those infected with HIV.TANSACS Project Director Supriya Sahu said society should stop being judgmental when it came to accommodating HIV patients.“The negative attitude should go and the patients should not be ostracised. People once thought that HIV was contracted through sex. But, there were infected children too,” she said, pointing out that the stigma should be removed.
