Seven Thousand visited Red Ribbon Express

[Guest guest]

Seven Thousand visited Red Ribbon Express and Twenty Five thousand

People were sensitized at Chandigarh

http://www.theindiapost.com/?p=7183

The India Post, 17th November, 2008 : Red Ribbon Express (RRE), a

train under national campaign for mainstreaming the issues of

HIV/AIDS, received a warm response form the citizens of Chandigarh,

the city beautiful on its two days visit to Chandigarh on November 16

& 17, 2008.

The RRE train remained stationed on platform no. 5, Railway Station,

Chandigarh and was open to public from 9:00am to 6:00pm on both days.

Besides providing services in rail coaches, an exhibition depicting

the activities of Chandigarh SACS was put on Railway Station. Cultural

performances on HIV/AIDS awareness were carried all along the day by

troops from Song & Drama Division, Chandigarh. Six outreach teams from

NYKS visited various parts of city and conducted forty eight advocacy

sessions in two days and sensitized around Twenty Five thousand

People. After its successful visit at Chandigarh, RRE will now move on

to Kurukshetra for further taking the message for safe behaviors.

Mr. Mohan Singh Rana, CEO, RRE informed that around seven thousand

people from all walks of life visited RRE. He further said that the

enthusiasm shown by visitors and feedback received from them clearly

indicates that the objectives of RRE to educate and create awareness

on the issues of HIV/AIDS have been achieved successfully.

Several dignitaries also visited the RRE train. Notable among them are

Sh. Vivek Gogia, DIG, Chandigarh and Dr. V. K. Bansal, Medical

Superintendent, Government Hospital, Panchkula. They inaugurated some

of the training sessions which are trained in coach IV of RRE.

Adding on to the details Mr. Mohan Singh Rana informed that more than

one thousand visitors received counseling services from counselors.

Approximately 400 visitors received treatment of Sexually Transmitted

Infections (STI) from doctors. He further informed that six batches of

training, each comprising of about 40-60 participant, were completed

in the RRE train in two days. Training programme was attended by

Nurses, CISF jawans, NSS/NCC volunteers, Youth groups and students and

teachers of various streams like social work and Public health.

Mr. Rana appreciated the efforts of volunteers and thanked Nehru Yuva

Kendra Sangathan, Punjab & Chandigarh and State AIDS Control Society,

Chandigarh for making all out efforts to carry the message of RRE to

masses. He thanked various departments of Chandigarh viz Education,

Health, Social Welfare, Public Relation, Police, Municipal

Corporation, BDPO, Zilla Panchayat, Railways, ICDS, Red Cross Society,

Sports and various NGOs for extending support to RRE project.