Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Testing, counselling centres for AIDS

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Aids Control Society will set up 94 Jyothis counselling and integrated testing centres this financial year, Minister for Health P.K. Sreemathy has said.

She was inaugurating the first Jyothis centre on Railway premises at the second terminal of the Central railway station here on Monday.

Ms. Sreemathy said 50 of the proposed 94 centres would be set up with the assistance of non-government organisations.

Lauding the divisional railway authorities for providing space for free to set up the centre, Ms. Sreemathy said the society also planned to set up centres in major stations.

She said it was a big achievement that the State was able to effectively counter the spread of HIV. “We have to be very alert as the neighbouring States of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are highly vulnerable’ she said.

Ms. Sreemathy said wrong notions and fear of the disease should be removed. In her welcome address, Usha Titus, Project Director of KSACS and Health Special Secretary, said only 5,000 of the 25,000 persons reportedly having HIV in the State had appeared for tests so far.

Dr. Titus said the tests, which cost Rs.250 in private hospitals and blood banks, had been made free, along with the services of trained counsellors at the centre.

The Superintendent of Women & Children Hospital, Thycaud has been posted as the Medical Officer of the centre.

Pannian Ravindran, MP; Titus P. Koshy, Divisional Railway Manager; Chala Mohanan, councillor; and Mary Mathew, Chief Superintendent of Railway Hospital, spoke.

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