Puducherry: Mass voluntary HIV screening and counselling programme

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Mass voluntary HIV screening, counselling programme on

Staff Reporter

A total of 11,000 blood samples collected over 15 days

Around 1,700 samples collected from schools, NGOs in one day

A testing stall will be stationed at Gandhi Thidal on weekends

— Photo: T. Singaravelou Motivating testing: A Singarimelam performance to create AIDS awareness in progress in Puducherry.

PUDUCHERRY: The Pondicherry AIDS Control Society has, in the past 15 days, collected a total of 11,000 blood samples from the public as part of their mass voluntary HIV screening and counselling programme.

Society Project Director Gilbert Fernandes told The Hindu that on Monday alone, they collected 1,700 samples from schools, NGOs and various institutions. The society had, on Sunday evening, organised an awareness programme along wit h Kerala Samajam at the Gandhi Thidal, where a testing stall would be stationed on weekends.

A Singarimelam performance was organised, in which Pondicherry Municipality Chairperson B. Sridevi and Bussy MLA N. Anand took part.

"We are motivating public to testing on a large scale so that people who have no problems will also come and test. This way, those who have some problem will not be stigmatised. Around 60 persons gave blood samples at the beach on Sunday evening," said Dr. Gilbert.

Members of the public who come forward to test at mobile testing centres are counselled and asked to fill up a form. Sampling is open at all times and the collected blood samples are tested at Odian Salai, JIPMER, Karikalampakkam and Mannadipet centres. The reports can be collected from Odian Salai or from the society's office.

Three tests are conducted before the samples are declared positive. It is then sent to the regional testing lab MMC, Chennai, for verification.

The campaign will be on till October 20 and the society plans to collect 75,000 samples by then.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/11/stories/2007091150480200.htm