The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Lead by example in fight against AIDS, doctors told

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Nov 11, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Lead by example in fight against AIDS, doctors told

Staff Reporter

11 complete year-long clinical, leadership programme

CULMINATION OF TRAINING: Supriya Sahu, Project Director, Tamil Nadu AIDS Control Society, handing over certificate to a doctor at the end of a fellowship programme at the training centre of the Government Hospital of Thoracic Medicine, Tambaram Sanat orium, on Thursday. — Photo: A. Muralitharan

TAMBARAM : Dedicated professionals are urgently needed to combat the challenge of HIV/AIDS faced by the country, speakers said.

The remarks came at a function here on Thursday to distribute certificates to doctors who completed a yearlong clinical and leadership programme on HIV/AIDS.

Eleven doctors, both in government service and outside, received their certificates after completing the one-year programme conducted by the Directorate of Medical Education at the Government Hospital of Thoraic Medicine's Training Centre at its premises in Tambaram Sanatorium.

The programme was run in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu AIDS Control Society and funded by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Global AIDS Programme (CDC-GAP) and technically supported by the International Training and Education Centre on HIV (I-TECH) India.

After distributing the certificates, Supriya Sahu, Project Director, TANSACS, said the Government Hospital of Thoracic Medicine was a centre of excellence offering unparalleled service, care and support to people with tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS and a model for other institutions. Stating that 60 per cent of HIV persons also suffered from tuberculosis, the official said such people had to face a `dual stigma.'

An estimated 3.4 lakh people in Tamil Nadu have HIV, but only 1.2 lakh people are on records.

Though it might appear that Tamil Nadu's share of HIV/AIDS cases in the country was high, this was due to the strong surveillance system, recording of cases and the excellent public health delivery system in Tamil Nadu.

There are plans to increase the number of CD4 testing and Anti-Retroviral Therapy Centres.

Ms. Supriya appealed to doctors involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS to lead by example instead of being "run of the mill" types.

Michael Friedman, Associate Director CDC-GAP, India, said that given the AIDS challenge faced by India, there was a pressing need for dedicated medical professionals.

P. Vijayalakshmi, Director of Medical Education, S. Rajasekaran, Superintendent, GHTM and G.Manoharan and Purba Chatterjee from I-TECH were among the others who spoke on the occasion.

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