HIV-AIDS patients should be treated without discrimination: T.S. Singhdeo

Central Chronicle News
Raipur, Dec 01: Health Minister T.S. Singhdeo felicitates the officers, employees, government departments, institutions, committees, industrial establishments and voluntary organizations doing excellent work for the control and prevention of AIDS and HIV on the occasion of World AIDS Day today. He felicitated a total of 53 individuals and institutions by presenting them certificates and mementos in a function organized in the convention hall of New Rest House, Civil Lines.
Dr. Alok Shukla, Principal Secretary, Health Department, Director, Health Services and Project Director of Chhattisgarh State AIDS Control Committee, Mr. Neeraj Bansod and Additional Project Director Dr. SK. Binjhwar was also present at the event. Addressing the felicitation function organized by the Chhattisgarh State AIDS Control Committee, Health Minister Singhdeo said that HIV-AIDS victims should be treated without discrimination. Like ordinary citizens, they also have all the rights given by the constitution. He said that Chhattisgarh is the th ird state in the country where Lokpal has been appointed to redress the grievances of HIV victims.
HIV-AIDS patients are being linked to various social security schemes. Singhdeo said that the state government is sensitive towards public health. 150 counseling and testing centers and eight ART centers are being run in the state for HIV-AIDS patients. Three more ART centers will be started soon. He said that it is a big challenge in the control and prevention of AIDS and HIV that many people are unaware of their HIV status. Such people need voluntary counseling and guidance. Singhdeo expressed his gratitude and thanks to all the people and organizations felicitated on Wednesday for their cooperation in the control and prevention of AIDS. He also appealed to work towards voluntary blood donation.
He expressed hope that those who were felicitated will continue to give cooperation in the fight against AIDS and we will be successful in increasing blood donation in rural areas as well.
Dr. Alok Shukla, Principal Secretary, Health Department said in the program that there is still a long battle to be fought against HIV-AIDS. Along with patting the back of those who did good work in this fight, today we have to take a pledge that we will continue this fight and will not let our vigilance fall. We will try to save the lives of the victims and give them a long life by using new medicines. Director, Health Services and Project Director of Chhattisgarh State AIDS Control Committee, Mr. Neeraj Bansod said that this year World AIDS Day is being celebrated all over the world on the theme of ‘End Inequality, End AIDS, End Epidemic’. Necessary steps are being taken by the Chhattisgarh State AIDS Control Committee under the guidance of NACO for the control and prevention of AIDS in the state. The rate of spread of AIDS in the state has come down by six times.
The number of its possible patients in the state is 45 thousand. We are providing essential services to 30 thousand of these people.
Along with field activities, people are constantly being made aware of this through IEC and social media. Red Ribbon Club has been formed in 150 colleges of the state to increase awareness among the youth.