GUWAHATI, June 24 � Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi yesterday underlined the need for a robust response to combat HIV/AIDS in the State and said that better awareness at various levels was the key to protect healthy people and support those who are already affected with the virus.
Speaking at a function to mark the arrival of the Red Ribbon Express at Kamakhya station on Wednesday morning, Gogoi said that government initiatives must go hand in hand with initiatives at the social level if the problem has to be handled in a responsible manner.
The Chief Minister said that while the Government would carry on with its responsibilities, it was equally important that society was more understanding when it came to those afflicted with HIV/AIDS. �Secrecy and stigma has to be removed for the welfare of those who are suffering,� he noted.
Appreciating the arrival of the Red Ribbon Express in Guwahati, Gogoi acknowledged the role of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation in conceptualising the train that has transformed HIV/AIDS awareness scene in the areas it has travelled through.
He also thanked the Assam State AIDS Control Society, and the NF Railways for extending their support to the initiative that has already attracted over 24,000 people in lower Assam.
State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, in his speech, mentioned that there were around 9,000 HIV/AIDS infected people in Assam of which nearly 4,000 have been identified. The challenge was in identifying the remaining 5,000 who remain hidden and therefore, have no access to treatment.
�This group has to be identified and provided with proper care�service that is provided free of cost,� Sarma remarked.
He mentioned that the State Government has gone the extra mile to support those with HIV/AIDS. The cost of the test, the treatment and even the transport for a patient are all borne by the Government. Echoing the Chief Minister�s thoughts, he said that under no circumstance should people with HIV/AIDS be isolated or stigmatized at home or in workplaces.
NF Railway GM Shiv Kumar said that it was a privilege to play host to the Red Ribbon Express that has contributed so much to spread awareness on HIV/AIDS in India. He said that the NFR was committed to support HIV/AIDS awareness programmes and its hospitals and health units treated it as a priority issue.