Cricket Unites Peoples
A cricket match involving college students and people living with HIV/AIDS was held at the KSG College of Arts and Science here recently. Over 400 people gathered on the college grounds to watch the match. “This is an attempt to demonstrate that people living with HIV should not be discriminated against. The public should support people living with the disease,” said R.Meenakshi, president of the Coimbatore District HIV Ullor Nala Sangam.
According to the Tamil Nadu AIDS Control Society, over 1,10,608 people in Coimbatore had come forward to test for HIV/AIDS. In 2008, 99,631 people had volunteered to test for the disease. The district had 40 HIV testing centres. With an aim of creating awareness among the younger generations about the disease, youth Red Ribbon Clubs had been formed in 82 colleges reaching out to 5,000 students all over the district.
V.Kumaran, Dean-in-Charge of the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, said that efforts were being taken to address the HIV/AIDS issues in the district. The level of HIV awareness among the youth was increasing day by day. Through the Government Hospital in Coimbatore, 2,191 HIV positive people had been provided with free Anti Retroviral Therapy treatment, he said. P.Govindaraj, Superintendent of Coimbatore Central Prison, said that Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres were functioning inside the prisons too.
