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Massive screening for HIV taken up

— Photo: T. Singaravelou

FOR AN IMPORTANT CAUSE: College students taking out a rally to create awareness on HIV/AIDS in Pudcuherry on Tuesday.

PUDUCHERRY: About 75,000 people in the Union Territory will be tested for the presence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

The massive screening, taken up by the Pondicherry AIDS Control Society (PACS) under a national programme to cover 10 million people to test for the deadly virus, is being undertaken for three months, in which blood samples of 75,000 people will be collected for testing, said Dilip Kumar Baliga, Director of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Puducherry, said here on Tuesday.

At the inaugural of the screening programme, Dr. Baliga said that testing was voluntary and the PACS, through its counselling staff, would explain to the public the need for an early screening. The programme mainly focussed on youth, he added.

Explaining to The Hindu on how the society planned to go about the programme, Dr. Gilbert Fernandez, PACS Project Director, said that, apart from its screening centres at Odiansalai, the JIPMER, in Karikklempakkam and Mannadipet com munity health centres, private medical colleges would be engaged in the programme.

The Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences at Kalapet and Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College at Madagadipet had agreed to open units for the special screening. Two other medical colleges were also being approached, he said.

A mobile unit would visit various places for creating awareness and screening.

The unit would mainly focus on places where industrial units and industrial estates were located.

Many industries had agreed to participate in the screening programme, he noted.

The PACS had also approached the Police Department, the NCC and the NSS volunteers. The society planned to motivate in-patients at the Government and private hospitals to participate in the voluntary testing programme. Trained staff would do the testing, and results kept confidential. The results would be informed directly to the individual, the Project irector said.

Dr. Dilip Kumar said early detection of the virus could enhance life-expectancy of the infected person. The quality of life could also be improved.

The special invitee, actor-director R. Parthipan, said his next movie would address the issues involved with the HIV.

B. Sridevi, Chairperson Puducherry Municipality, and councillors India Somani and C Rajalakshmi also spoke. Students from various schools and colleges took part in a rally to propagate the three-month screening programme, which would end on October 21.

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