Government Launches Statewide Screening for HIV and Hepatitis

Emphasized the need of testing of HIV and Hepatitis before marriage for post marriage Healthy Life

Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, January 23, 2024:
In line of healthy and Rangla Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann Government has now started screening in state to prevent spread of HIV and Hepatitis B and C after getting encouraging results from inmates of Prisons, De-addiction and Re-habilitation Centers, disclosed Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh, here on Tuesday.
Flagging off Mass Awareness Vans under Jan-Jagrukta-Muhim for testing, treatment and counseling of youth prone to HIV, Hepatitis B and C based on increasing cases of HIV AIDS across the state particularly in Bathinda, Faridkot, Ferozepur, Muktsar and Moga from Dr B R Ambedkar State Institute of Medical Sciences, Mohali, he said that the screening is must to prevent the rest of the society from being infected to HIV. He said that the screening and awareness programme has been launched under the aegis of Punjab State AIDS Control Society in coordination with National AIDS Control Organisation.
The five Vans launched today would cover 750 villages in the initial stage for a month, said Health Minister while adding that the Vans equipped with LEDs would show the awareness films on prohibition of sharing of syrings/Unprotected Sexual Relationships besides playing of Nukkad Nataks. Each Van also has a lab technician and a counselor for free testing of HIV/AIDS.
Making appeal to the residents to come forward voluntarily to these vans and get them tested against the infection of HIV AIDS to be safe and keep their families secure from the infection.
He further said that Punjab has 62044 HIV Patients registered with ART (Antiretroviral Therapy) Centers besides 115 Integrated Counselling and Testing Centers for testing and preventing HIV.
Emphasizing the testing of HIV , Hepatitis B and C before the marriage, he said that this would pave the way for post marriage life. He said that hepatitis B and C is curable while HIV is controllable by taking viral load stable, so one should not hesitate to hide his/her disease and go for testing openly to save the society and his/her life.
Giving the instance of campaign launched in the previous days to screen inmates against HIV AIDS and other Sexually Transmission Diseases, he said that all the patients have been put on treatment to make them healthy.
He said that Punjab Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann is worried about the education and health of the people of state that’s why despite of non-cooperation of Centre Government, he is strengthening the public sector health infrastructure in Punjab. He said that soon the number of Aaam Aadmi Clinics in state to surpass 800.
He said that Punjab would soon be emerge as the best state across the country and the realization of Dream of Punjab chief Minister to make state as Rangla Punjab will be achieved at all cost.
He was accompanied by Special Secretary, Health and Projector Director Punjab State AIDS Control Society, Verinder Kumar Sharma and Additional Project Director Dr. Bobby Gulati.