World AIDS Day: Free Condom Kiosk Set Up At AIIMS Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: Awareness of AIDS among the public has been increasing in Odisha.

Of the 17,966 people who were tested for AIDS at AIIMS Bhubaneswar this year, 40 tested HIV positive. This represents a downward trend, said Dr Arvind Kumar Singh, Associate Professor of Community Medicine and in-charge of ICTC Centre, AIIMS Bhubaneswar.

To raise awareness further, World AIDS Day — themed ‘End inequalities, End AIDS’ — was observed at AIIMS Bhubaneswar on Wednesday.

Community Medicine, Family Medicine and Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre of AIIMS Bhubaneswar organized a number of activities to raise awareness regarding HIV/AIDS.

A specially-designated HIV Information and Counselling desk was set up for patients visiting AIIMS.

General public who came to AIIMS were offered voluntary free testing and a condom distribution kiosk was opened to encourage people to know their HIV status and spread the message of safe sex, informed Dr Sonu H Subba, Head of Department, Community Medicine.

A blood donation camp was organized by Blood Bank department.

The Rural Centre of AIIMS Bhubaneswar at Tangi conducted voluntary screening of migrant population in Mangal Jodi village with the aim of taking HIV awareness to peripheral areas.