With an aim to spread awareness about the HIV/AIDS, sensitise people and provide adequate treatment to the infected people, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Dr Balbir Singh on Monday flagged off 11 awareness vans from Dr. B.R. Ambedkar State Institute of Medical Science at Phase-6, Mohali.
This one month long HIV/AIDS public awareness campaign was jointly initiated by the Punjab State AIDS Control Society and Health and Family Welfare Department.These IEC (Information, Education and Communication) awareness vans are equipped with LEDs to exhibit Audio-Visual awareness films to the people, while printed material will also be distributed among them.
Lab technicians and counsellors have been specially assigned with these vans, who will conduct free HIV/AIDS tests of the people at their doorstep.Divulging more details, Dr Balbir Singh said that these 11 special awareness vans will visit different villages of all the districts in Punjab to sensitise people about this deadly disease— which is preventable but not curable.
Each van will cover 4-5 villages daily and these vans will cover as many as 1650 villages in a month, he added.He said that apart from conducting tests, showing audio-visual awareness films and distributing printed material to sensitise the people about this disease, Theatre artists will also perform Nukkad Nataks at villages to create awareness. “HIV/AIDS can be avoided by being aware and taking some precautions,” he said, adding that due to lack of information, people fall prey to this disease.
Dr Balbir Singh has appealed to people to take maximum advantage of these vans and get themselves tested to check their HIV status.He said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led Punjab Government is committed to provide world-class healthcare facilities to the people of the state.
Project Director of Punjab State AIDS Control Society Pradeep Kumar Agarwal, Director Health Services Punjab Dr Ranjit Singh, Dr BR Ambedkar State Institute of Medical Science Director Principal Dr Babneet Bharti, Additional Project Director of Punjab State AIDS Control Society Dr Bobby Gulati and Civil Surgeon Mohali Dr Adarshpal Kaur were among other officials, who were present on the occasion.