The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : ID cards for AIDS patients soon

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Monday, Nov 17, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

ID cards for AIDS patients soon

Correspondent

State has some 5.50 lakh HIV/AIDS patients
Mobile blood testing vehicles to be introduced in tribal areas

VIZIANAGARAM: Some 40,000 HIV/AIDS patients who are taking ART will be issued identity cards and also 1,200 STD clinics to be opened soon, according to R.V. Chandravadan, the Project Director of A.P. State AIDS Control Society (APSACS).

Speaking at a meeting at the district headquarters hospital here on Sunday, Dr. Chandravadan said that about 5.50 lakh HIV/AIDS patients were there in the State. Of them 1,000 were in Vizianagaram district alone, he said and added that they were being supplied medicines free of cost. Detailing reasons for the disease, the Project Director said that every one must volunteer for blood test at the 13 ICDC centres in the district and announced that mobile blood testing vehicles would be introduced in tribal dominated areas. These were in addition to providing the same facility in the 104 Service. He said that 15 lakh blood samples were tested last year at the 675 centres in the State.

He said that details of centres with regard to availability of safe blood of each group would be informed online soon. He said that the ART centre that was inaugurated here in August last was modernised and more facilities like in corporate hospitals would be provided at a cost of Rs.10lakhs. A friendly atmosphere would be created for the patients at the centre, he said and added that their children would be provided toys.

Later, B. Jhansi Lakshmi, MP and B. Appala Naidu, ZP Chairperson, inaugurated the modernized ART centre, waiting hall, lab and counselling hall. District Medical and Health Officer Ch. Mahesh, District AIDS Control Officer S. Chandra Reddy and others were present.

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