Minister for Health and Medical Education, ARI and Trainings, Choudhary Lal Singh has called for launching a movement against HIV/AIDS with the active involvement of various stake-holders of the society, adding that awareness is the key factor to keep people away from this disease.The Minister was speaking at a function in connection with World AIDS Day-2015 organized by J&K State AIDS Prevention and Control Society at Government Medical College (GMC), here today.Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare Ms. Asiea Naqash was also present on the occasion.Secretary, Health and Medical Education Dr. Mandeep K Bhandari, Principal GMC Dr. Ghanshyam Dev, Director General ISM Dr. Abdul Kabir Dar, Project Director AIDS Control Society Dr. Saleem-ur-Rehman, Director Health Services, Jammu, Dr. Baljeet Pathania, Director Family Welfare Dr. Baldev Raj Sharma, Controller Drugs and Food Control Society Nazir Wani besides officers of Health and Medical Education Department were present on the occasion.
Choudhary Lal Singh said that World AIDS Day is observed to renew our efforts to save the lives of patients suffering from this dreaded disease. “The day reminds us of our duties towards the AIDS patients and we all should take a pledge this day to adopt a sympathetic and human approach towards such patients and encourage them to lead a normal life.’’The Minister said World AIDS Day this year is about “Getting to Zero-Zero new HIV inspections, Zero discrimination and Zero AIDS related deaths in Jammu and Kashmir. He said today many scientific advances have been made in HIV treatment in Government hospitals, there are laws to protect people living with HIV and we understand so much more about the condition. But despite this, he said such people suffer from HIV stigma and discrimination remains a reality for many people living with HIV.
The Minister said that under National AIDS Control Programme (NACP), Jammu and Kashmir AIDS Prevention and Control Society has established 36 ICTCs, 26 Blood Banks and 06 STD Clinics in J&K at regional and district hospitals. He said the number of voluntary attendees in these centres has increased manifold since the inception of JKSACS. He said Government is planning to establish State Blood Council to strengthen blood banks in Government hospitals.Choudhary Lal Singh informed that two ART centres at GMC, Jammu and SKIMS, Srinagar and four link ART centres (Kathua, Udhampur, Rajouri and Leh) are functional in J&K and providing counseling, testing and treatment services to public. At present 1770 patients are receiving ART, including 124 children, he said.The Minister said two OST (Opioid Substitution Therapy) centres are also functional in Psychiatry Diseases Hospital Jammu and Srinagar for helping IDUs to shift from intravenous to oral and subsequently tapering them off the medicine.
In her address, Ms. Asiea Naqash laid stress on holding awareness camps and seminars in Schools and Colleges besides in rural as well as far-off areas of the State for educating youth about preventive measures of the HIV/AIDS. She exhorted the students to educate themselves on AIDS so that they can spread social awareness for the prevention and cure of the same.She said that World AIDS Day is an opportunity for people to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died.Ms. Naqash asked field functionaries to keep close vigil on sale of spurious drugs in the markets especially in rural drug shops where such practices are more common to play with the health of innocent patients. “Spurious drugs and proxy drug outlets should be seized and guilty persons should be booked under the Act”, he cautioned the officers.