Title - Call to wipe out stigma on HIV

Rousing reception was accorded to Red Ribbon Express at the railway station here on Sunday.Platform Number one wore a festive look as volunteers decorated it with festoons, red colour balloon arches, campaign banners, multi-colour flags and flex boards providing all information about AIDS and HIV.Addressing the inaugural function of Red Ribbon Express at the railway station here, Minister for Power and Prohibition, R. Viswanathan said that effective awareness was need of the hour to wipe out stigma on HIV and AIDS and eradicate discrimination against patients living with HIV.Self-discipline was the best way to lead a safe life and a possible measure to prevent the disease, he added.Collector N. Venkatachalam said that the Express had started its journey on May 9 and covered Tirunelveli so far. It will stay in Dindigul till Monday and proceed to Karur and stay there for three days. The expo in the Express would remain open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visitors need not buy platform tickets for coming to the platform. After Karur, the train will cover Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga, Nagapattinam, Vellore cantonment and reach Chennai Central Station.

A total of 5,371 patients had registered their names to receive Anti-Retroviral Treatment in the district of which 2,188 persons received the treatment till date. Five ART centres have been functioning in the district. Palani will soon get an ART centre shortly.

Besides, free legal service was extended to 1,238 persons living with HIV. A total of 14,000 volunteers in colleges had enrolled their names in the Red Ribbon Club creating awareness in rural and urban areas of HIV and AIDS.

Members of various NGOs engaged in health activities, Nehru Yuva Kendra members, village health nurses, health staff, revenue officials, driver trainees from Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (Division-IV) Limited, Dindigul, private cab, truck and lorry drivers and cleaners, school and college students and nursing school students visited the express. Cultural programmes were conducted creating awareness of this disease.