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NACO chief interacts with HIV-hit in Ganjam

- Photo: Lingaraj Panda

A. Sujata Rao (centre), Director -General of the National AIDS Control Organisation,interacting with doctors and officials during her visit to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur on Saturday.

BERHAMPUR: The Director General of National Aids Control Organisation (NACO), Sujata Rao during her visit to Ganjam district came face-to-face with an example of disparity faced by the HIV positive persons even at a medical college hospital on Saturday.

During her visit to the Sathi, a community care centre for the People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) on the outskirts of the city on Saturday morning Ms. Rao came across a youth from Patapur. This ailing PLWHA had been denied admission into the medicine ward of the MKCG Medical College Hospital on Friday.

Ms. Rao immediately called up the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), southern division, Satyabrata Sahu to intervene. Mr. Sahu rushed to the spot and took up the matter with the authorities of the medical college.

The medical authorities could understand the grave mistake they had done by denying medical help to the PLWHA and the youth was immediately admitted in the medicine ward.

Ms. Rao and the Director of Finance of NACO, Suresh Kumar had reached Ganjam district, the most HIV prone area of the State on Friday evening.

They had reached Girisola on Orissa-Andhra border by the side of NH-5 to have direct interaction with two persons who are under Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) being provided at the only ART centre in the State in the MKCG Medical College Hospital.

The PLWHA with whom they interacted included a nine-year-old boy who was living with his uncle after death of his parents due to AIDS and a trucker.

The NACO chief tried to find out their social condition, life style, nutrition level and family life.

Then they reached out to Chadheyapalli a village of migrant labourers near Aska. Ms. Rao inspected the ‘Pravasi Sramik Suchana Kendra’ unit at the village a communication project started by ARUNA and Lepra society to keep track of the migrant labourers and to keep them away from HIV through regular communication with them even when they work in far off places like Surat.

Till 11 p.m. the NACO chief interacted with the migrant labourers and their family members as well as some PLWHA at the village.

The migrant labourers are the most HIV prone persons in Ganjam district. Ms. Rao felt the women, neo migrants and old migrant labourers need different approaches regarding AIDS awareness programme.

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