Bhubaneswar, November 17(Odisha.in) The Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) will facilitate in setting up a Corporated Anti Retroviral Treatment (ART) Centre for treatment o patients in Koraput soon.
Besides, it will help setting up a CD-4 machine meant for detect HIV/AIDS. It is expected by December this year at MKCG Medical College Hospital, Berhampur.
This was announced by Parameswar Swain, Project Director, Orissa State AIDS Cell In the sideline of state level corporate sector consultation on mainstreaming HIV/AIDS Here Friday.
Swain said that CD-4 machine is the most modern equipment to detect the deadly virus.On the request of the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, NACO has assured to provide one out of the 50 machines it has received from the Clinton
Foundation.
The consultation was organized by the OSAC in partnership with CII, Oxfam GB And Hindustan Latex family Planning promotion Trust.
This was the first ever state –level corporate consultation workshop being held in India after formation of state mainstreaming unit under the SACS in five states by NACO and UNDP, said, Swain.
Rammanik Ahuja, Consultant Health and Program Manager, CII said that it has been decided to set up at least four ART centres current year in the country one being at Koraput, Orissa, for providing free treatment with medicines to HIV/AIDS patients.
During next three years, CII has also planned to set up ten more ART centre as part of the corporate sector initiative with government.
Advocating a multi-sectoral approach to tackle the problem of HIV/AIDS, Principal Secretary Health and Family Welfare Chinmoy Basu said that more and more industries and corporate bodies should be involved in the program through its CSR initiatives to start with.
He said tribal people are at great risk of HIV as mining industry is booming in tribal pockets resulting in influx of large external workforce.
Unless the industry sector comes up with some initiative to start with, the problem will be hard to stop, he warned Nearly9 per cent of HIV infections in Orissa have been reported from the 15-49 years of age group which being the most productive age has a direct bearing on Industry, Swain said.
He said at least seven districts- Ganjam, Anugul, Bolangir, Bhadrak, Balasore, Koraput, Khurda have been shown as areas that need immediate intervention.
He said an estimated 7372 HIV Positive cases have been detected in the state by the end of September last and out of which 685 have died.
Odisha.in