Chief Minister V.Narayanasamy, who delivered presidential address on the World AIDS Day, called upon the staff of AIDS Control Society to spread awareness about HIV and AIDS in the rural areas. “The AIDS Control Society and non governmental organisations (NGOs) are taking measures to control the spread of the disease. However, creating awareness in the urban areas is not enough. We have to discuss these issues in the rural areas,” he said.
Puducherry has seen a sharp fall in the number of HIV positive cases since 2011. Health and Family Welfare Director K.V.Raman informed that Puducherry has zero per cent prevalence rate of HIV positive patients among antenatal mothers.
S.Jayanthi, Project Director, Puducherry AIDS Control Society added while nearly 716 HIV positive cases were reported in 2011-12, it has dropped to 541 cases in 2016-17.
“Of which, 148 HIV positive patients are from Puducherry while the rest are from other states,” she said, adding that the surveillance study conducted among 400 antenatal mothers recently tested for HIV and none were reported positive.
She added that the prevalence rate has reduced from 0.25 per cent in 2004 to 0 per cent in 2017.
New legislation
Chief Minister V.Narayanasamy on Friday said the government will initiate steps to bring in a legislation that would ensure private hospitals provide treatment during emergencies instead of sending the patients to government hospitals.
He added that private hospitals cannot deny treatment to patients during emergencies. K.Lakshminarayanan, Parliamentary Secretary to Chief Minister, stated: “Based on an order passed by the Supreme Court that no hospital should deny treatment for patients during emergencies, we can bring in a legislation here.”
Mr.Narayanasamy assured that the government will take steps to recognise NHRM and contract workers in AIDS Control Society as government employees.
The State government will open pharmacies that would provide medicines at a low cost on the lines of Central government supported pharmacies where generic medicines were sold at a price less than 40 to 60 per cent of the market price.
Earlier, holding placards that read ‘Health is my Right’ and several slogans about HIV/AIDS, transgenders, nursing and medical students students and staff of Puducherry AIDS Control Society and Health and Family Welfare Department carried out an awareness rally, flagged off by the Chief Minister, in the boulevard area.
