04-02-2006, 01:48 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Army entrants to face HIV screening </b>
Mohit Kandhari / Jammu -Pioneer.com
After introducing a surveillance programme to check the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Armed forces, t<b>he Indian Army looks all set to insulate jawans from the scourge of HIV/AIDS with the introduction of pre-recruitment and pre-induction screening for fresh entrants in the Army.</b>
Talking to reporters at the Military hospital on Saturday, Armed Forces Medical Services director general, Vice Admiral Vijay K Singh, said,<b> "A proposal has already been floated on behalf of three wings of the Armed forces to make HIV/AIDS screening mandatory for fresh recruits to achieve zero per cent incidence rate in Army."</b>
He said soon after the Indian Government gives its final nod, the screening facilities set up across different locations in military hospitals across India would start functioning.
Referring to the stigma attached with the virus, he said, <b>"Contracting HIV/AIDS is not a crime. Not reporting it, is a crime." </b>He also urged the jawans not to hide any type of information related to early symptoms of the disease from the medical officers during routine checkups. <b>He said though the incidence of HIV/AIDS in the Indian Army is a mere 0.028 per cent as compared to the national average of 0.9 per cent but efforts are being made to reduce this even further so as to achieve zero incidence.</b>
Pointing out that the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the US armed forces was 0.026 per cent, Singh said this was due to compulsory screening.
<b>"We are spreading the message that if treatment is started within 24 hours, 100 per cent success is guaranteed. During the last two years, medical officers from the battalion level upwards have been regularly giving lectures to the troops and the film Dastak has also beeb screened for them emphasising on the hazards of unprotected sex. "We are even providing free condoms to soldiers," </b>Singh added
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Mohit Kandhari / Jammu -Pioneer.com
After introducing a surveillance programme to check the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Armed forces, t<b>he Indian Army looks all set to insulate jawans from the scourge of HIV/AIDS with the introduction of pre-recruitment and pre-induction screening for fresh entrants in the Army.</b>
Talking to reporters at the Military hospital on Saturday, Armed Forces Medical Services director general, Vice Admiral Vijay K Singh, said,<b> "A proposal has already been floated on behalf of three wings of the Armed forces to make HIV/AIDS screening mandatory for fresh recruits to achieve zero per cent incidence rate in Army."</b>
He said soon after the Indian Government gives its final nod, the screening facilities set up across different locations in military hospitals across India would start functioning.
Referring to the stigma attached with the virus, he said, <b>"Contracting HIV/AIDS is not a crime. Not reporting it, is a crime." </b>He also urged the jawans not to hide any type of information related to early symptoms of the disease from the medical officers during routine checkups. <b>He said though the incidence of HIV/AIDS in the Indian Army is a mere 0.028 per cent as compared to the national average of 0.9 per cent but efforts are being made to reduce this even further so as to achieve zero incidence.</b>
Pointing out that the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the US armed forces was 0.026 per cent, Singh said this was due to compulsory screening.
<b>"We are spreading the message that if treatment is started within 24 hours, 100 per cent success is guaranteed. During the last two years, medical officers from the battalion level upwards have been regularly giving lectures to the troops and the film Dastak has also beeb screened for them emphasising on the hazards of unprotected sex. "We are even providing free condoms to soldiers," </b>Singh added
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