Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

$ 35 million for AIDS control

By Our Staff Reporter

The U.S. Ambassador, Robert Blackwill, holding discussions with the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, at her office on Wednesday. — Photo: Vino John

Chennai Nov. 6. The United States Ambassador to India, Robert D. Blackwill, today met the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, and discussed Indo-US collaboration to address the HIV/AIDS problem in the country and its ramifications in Tamil Nadu.

Of the $ 120 million allocated by the U.S. Government for the next five years to combat the epidemic, approximately $ 35 million would go towards supporting activities in Tamil Nadu, Mr. Blackwill told Ms. Jayalalithaa. He also indicated that the United States Agency for International Development had extended its ongoing comprehensive AIDS Prevention and Control Project in Tamil Nadu for at least five more years, expressing willingness of the U.S. to share ideas, resources and best practices.

He also presented the Chief Minister with a blueprint of a plan for renovation of the HIV/AIDS laboratory at the Government Hospital of Thoracic Medicine, Tambaram, where the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention are working with the State to support hospital information systems and training programmes.

Earlier, Mr. Blackwill visited the Tambaram hospital, where he inaugurated an upgraded version of a software to maintain medical records of patients in electronic format.

Speaking to the hospital staff after visiting the HIV wards (male, paediatric and OP), he said the attitude of the doctors ``radiated compassion and the understanding that the ill infected with HIV/AIDS needed to be treated.''

"Led by this hospital and other efforts, Tamil Nadu is setting an example for dealing with this problem, not only for the country, but also the rest of the world."

Though the number of patients was rising steadily, increasing the burden, the hospital was handling the situation admirably, he said urging the staff to continue the ``good work.''

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