Haridwar, November 30
The pilgrim city of Haridwar has taken a lead in AIDS treatment. A Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) helpline is being run from the city. It is the only one in the country and caters to PEP for doctors and medical-field related persons.

Social stigma related to AIDS prevents even doctors and persons related with health care from coming forward to seek help.

In foreign countries, there are specialised helplines, but in India, a maiden helpline being run by Dr Alok Vashishtha is in existence and is doing yeoman’s service.

This 24x7 helpline is being run by Dr Alok Vashishtha, a former Major in the Indian Army and a specialised consultant of AIDS. This helpline is being run in collaboration with the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI).

One can dial this helpline from any part of the country at any time. The details of the caller are kept confidential and this puts the caller more at ease in sharing his problem and while seeking medical help.

Shedding more light into this unique helpline, Dr Alok Vashishtha, who is one of the few specialist doctors on AIDS in the whole country, informed The Tribune that much of the mystery surrounding this virus is due to half knowledge, confusion, callousness and lack of information on where and how to approach which aggravates the condition of the affected person.

Many may not know that even after HIV gets into someone’s bloodstream, it takes time to permanently infect them, so that means if one takes the PEP treatment, then one can still escape the dreaded virus.

“If someone acts quickly which extends from two hours to a maximum 72 hours, as studies have shown, then PEP also doesn’t work in that condition. PEP drugs are the same anti-HIV medication that is taken by HIV+ people, but these have to be taken for one month. The lesser the time wasted before starting PEP, the better the chances of staying away from HIV,” informed Dr Vashishtha.

Another significant aspect of this PEP helpline is that Dr Alok Vashishtha not only gives consultation, but also just after the call provides the patient with the nearest availability of the prescribed medicines so that the patient is given treatment within the stipulated time.

The helpline has tied up with pharmaceutical firms making anti-HIV drugs around the country so that the exposed person gets drugs from his city’s nearest drug store in minimum time, which may save his life as time is the key to PEP therapy.

Till date, more than 400 health care workers have benefited from this FOGSI helpline and now it has attained a transnational status with health care workers calling from Asian and African continents.

It seems quite laudable that a Haridwar-based doctor is providing PEP treatment and answering people’s queries from countries such as South Africa, Kazakhstan and also from districts like Muzaffarnagar and Bikaner in India.

“All call data is stored for record purposes only. We don’t reveal it as the very credibility of this helpline is based on two facts - confidentiality and timely medical advice aided with prescription.

“Some persons are also seeking our helpline for non-occupational exposure to HIV which itself points to the need for more such efforts. Awareness about prevention measures from getting inflicted with HIV be it clean syringes, clear blood or safe sexual intercourse is still wanting, particularly in rural, sub-urban and in the younger generation,” remarked Dr Vashishtha, who has been honoured by various medical organisations for his committed efforts in this regard.

With India having 2.3 million HIV positive persons out of 33 million in the world, sincere and mass efforts need to be undertaken in this regard both by governmental and non-governmental organisations. Persons like Dr Alok Vashishtha, apart from spreading the message of religious-spiritual harmony in the pilgrim city of Haridwar, are also spreading the message of controlling the HIV virus.

AIDS, in just 30 years since it first came into light in 1981 in Los Angeles, has taken a taken a toll on six crore human lives.

Dehradun, November 30
Though medical science is yet to find a cure for Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), yet right information coupled with awareness can prevent its spread.

After the first full-blown AIDS case was detected in Tamil Nadu in 1986, there has been a steady rise in the number of persons getting infected with HIV/AIDS.

“With over 165 deaths due to AIDS in 2004-2010, proper information and awareness about the disease is the only way out. This will also reduce prejudice against people infected with HIV/AIDS,” said Dr KS Negi, Senior Medical Officer, Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART), Doon Hospital.

He was speaking today at a ‘Sensitisation Workshop for Media on Aids’ held at the Uttarakhand AIDS Control Society (USACS).

Adding that once the patient begins anti-retroviral treatment (ART), it should not be discontinued. “The situation this way can prove more dangerous for the patients. The treatment should be continued for the entire lifetime. The situation may be similar to a diabetic patient whose sugar levels remain under control by following a strict medicinal and diet regimen,” stressed Dr Negi.

Stressing upon the need to tackle disinformation, Dr Meenakshi Uniyal, Joint Director, Information in Education and Communication (IEC) and Blood Safety, said that stigma could be reduced if people are educated about HIV and AIDS.

“Mainstreaming is the key to reduce stigma and media can play a big role by maintaining confidentiality of patients,” she said.

Dr VS Tolia, Deputy Chief Medical Officer (CMO), said that to spread information about HIV/AIDS, different forms of media are being effectively used.

“Despite the shortcomings of various forms of media, different forms of media can prove to be effective tools in spreading information,” said Dr Tolia.

Gagan Luthra, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, USACS, said that since the setting up of Integrated Counselling Testing Centres (ICTC) in the state, clients seeking information on AIDS and HIV has considerably increased. “Counsellors help in allaying the doubts of clients and also help them take steps to prevent AIDS,” he said.

Dehradun, November 30
Street children, who are most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS, neither figure in the HIV/AIDS awareness package nor can they have access to government institutional care.Street children often resort to menial work like that of rag pickers and have a higher probability of catching infections, but have little access to HIV/STD information, voluntary counselling, testing and health services.

As of now, the population of street children in Dehradun is around 67,000. Most are orphaned and live in unhygienic conditions. Presently, around 46 male children and 37 female children are undergoing anti-retroviral treatment (ART) at the ART centre.

A majority among them are orphans fending for themselves or dependent on the largesse of their family members. “These children do not get a nutritious diet. Though we have managed to bring them to the ART centres for regular treatment, they do not get any assistance from the government,” said Lawrence Singh of the Agnes Kunze Society running the Community Care Centre for Children (CCC).

As per NACO estimates, India has nearly 0.64 million children below 14 years of age who are infected with HIV. Significantly, the number of children, who have either one or both HIV positive parents or who have lost both parents to HIV/AIDS, is steadily increasing.

“Along with children who are inflicted with HIV/AIDS, there is another ‘affected’ group whose both parents may have died due to the disease and are now orphaned. They have somehow remained out of the loop of institutional care that should be theirs,” said Dr VS Tolia, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Doon Hospital.

A children’s home for AIDS orphans can prove to be a boon for several children who have lost both her parents to HIV/AIDS. “In most instances, immediate family may not be financially well off to secure their small children against HIV.

“Homes will prove to be beneficial, but so far the proposal has not been passed by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) that believes that mainstreaming (i.e. allowing the child to live in society) is the better option.

“But it will help if the state government or the Social Welfare Department offers schemes by providing for their education and even taking care of their rehabilitation,” said Lawrence Singh.

Besides running a community care centre, the Agnes Kunz Society is also supporting 230 children affected or infected by HIV/AIDS. Not only does the organisation pay for their education, but also ensures that the children undergoing ART get a nutritious diet.

Nainital, November 30
Nine students from St Francis Xavier College, Canberra, Australia, are on a 20-day visit to rural areas of hill districts of the state.Two teachers Sua and Steve are accompanying them.The group visited a government-run school at Pangot located at a distance of 15 km from Nainital.

Sua said the students were here for a project on education. She further said they would also visit the Pindari Glacier.

The students decided to present the schoolchildren of Pangot with cushions to sit on and also help in the construction of a shed, as they came to know that the children here had to sit on the floor and no proper roof had been provided to them.

Steven said the group would move to Rishikesh and Haridwar for their further project work.

These students also played a friendly basketball match with the local youth a few days back.

Dehradun, November 30
There seems to be no end to the ongoing controversies in the DAV PG College here. After being appointed as the officiating general secretary of the student’s council, Charu Srivasatava has raised an objection against former student council member Anil Tomar for having the plate of general secretary on his vehicle. Charu has also brought this to the notice of the college authorities about the alleged misleading act of Tomar.

In a memorandum submitted to the Principal of the college, Charu said she had been given the charge of the officiating general secretary of the council till December 11, while Tomar was still exhibiting his former council post on his car’s nameplate.

“As per the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations, the official tenure of a student council member is till June 30 and dissolves automatically subsequently. I request the college authorities to take immediate action against Tomar or else he will be held responsible for the repercussions of his misleading deeds,” wrote Charu in the memorandum.

Dehradun, November 30
Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) will begin its term-end examination from tomorrow.

About 10,000 students from 18 IGNOU centres of Uttarakhand will appear in the examinations for graduation, post-graduation, diploma, PG diploma and other certificate courses.

Admit cards to students have been already sent by the university and the centres for examinations have also been readied in advance. The examination will continue till December 30.

According to Dr Anil Dimri, Regional Director of IGNOU, Uttarakhand, there are 20 examination centres in the state and three in western Uttar Pradesh. DAV PG College and DBS PG College are among the two examination centres in Dehradun chosen by IGNOU.

Dehradun, November 30
Himalayan Cricket Academy (HCA) scored a narrow six-run victory over SIMT in the Beehive Challenger Trophy T20 Cricket Tournament held at Matawala Bagh here today.

SIMT won the toss and invited their rivals to bat first. Rishabh (44 off 26) and Varun (36 off 31) helped HCA post a fighting total. Shekher (20) too chipped in. The team mustered a total of 140 runs in 20 overs for five wickets.

Raman and Vishal were the successful bowlers for SIMT picking two wickets each. In reply, SIMT could only score 134 runs for eight wickets in 20 overs. Vishal (43) and Vikas (38) put forward their best efforts, but couldn’t lead their side to a win.

HCA’s Shekher, who played a fast knock of 20 runs, also took two wickets.

Pitthoragarh, November 30
Fed up with destruction of their crops every year by increasing numbers of wild animals, farmers in Kumoan are now leaving agricultural work.“Almost 10 per cent farmers in remote villages of the area have left agricultural work and settled in nearby towns,” saidretired Chief Development Officer JC Joshi.

The main reasons behind leaving the agricultural work during the past 10 years has been wild animals, adverse climatic conditions and fragmented farmland. “I have sold off my entire land in my village and settled in Askot town,” said Jagat Singh, a farmer.

The agricultural scientists, who accompanied the “kisan rath” recently, said more than 30 to 40 per cent farmers in the villages were affected by the attack on their crops by wild animals in recent years. “Whenever we go to villages and start giving information about new agricultural methods, farmers start asking about the solution for the problem of attacks by wild animals,” said RK Singh, an agricultural 
specialist working in Pant Nagar University. “The wild animals damage crops mostly in Munsiyari, Dharchula, Didihat and Kanalichhina areas of Pitthoragarh district and compel the farmers to leave the agrarian work,” said RK Singh.

In Champawat district, dozens of villagers in the Molakote area have left cultivating peanuts, as they found no solution against attack by wild pigs on their crop. “Earlier, each villager of the Molakote area used to cultivate 7-8 quintals of peanuts every year,” said Kundan Singh Addhikari, a resident of Molakot.

The farmers of the Charal, Pal Bilon, Sipty, Machiyar and Gumdesh areas in Champawat district have left cultivating potato and started ginger cultivation. “Formerly, I was a progressive farmer cultivating potatoes, but now I have shifted to ginger cultivation as the wild pigs do not damage this crops,” said PN Bhatt, a farmer in the Amori area.

In Bageshwar, wild monkeys damage crops and have started biting schoolchildren. “In more than a dozen villages of the Farsali area of Bageshwar district, wild pigs and monkeys have dug up the rabi crop, vegetables and when the villagers go to disperse them, they attack them,” said forest officer RC Sharma.

“Residents of Laxmeshwar ward in Almora town are also living under fear of wild monkeys and wild pigs,” said Trilochan Joshi, a ward member of Laxmeswar ward in the Almora Nagar Palika Parishad.

Adverse climatic condition is also one of the major factors that has been forcing farmers to leave cultivation and resort to alternative jobs. “More than 10 per cent crops in the state have been damaged due to excess and untimely rains this year, including 7 per cent in fruits and 10 per cent vegetables,” said Joint Director at Horticulture Directorate, Deharadun, IA Khan. “The damage by wild animals is 100 per cent in some areas of the state,” said Khan.

“As wild fruits and roots have disappeared in forest areas in the past few decades, shortage of food has forced the pigs and monkeys to damage crops in nearby villages. If planting wild fruit plants and wild roots for some years continuously outside the village forest areas can be taken in hand by gram panchayats, then only the menace of wild animals can be reduced after some years. Otherwise, the number of wild pigs and monkeys is increasing multi-fold every year,” said RK Singh, Pant Nagar Agricultural scientist based at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Pitthoragarh.

Nainital, November 30
A large number of residents of Ramnagar and Lalkuan region have launched an agitation against Forest Department officials for failing to keep check on devastation of farm produce by elephants and growing instances of attacks on people by wild cats.

While hundreds of villagers staged a dharna yesterday outside the tehsil office at Lalkuan, villagers from areas around Ramnagar, under banner of the Sundarkhal Sangharsh Samiti, protested at the Dhangarhi gate of the Dhikala zone of the Jim Corbett National Park. The members of the samiti have again convened a meeting at Sundarkhal on December 3.

The residents of the villages around Ramnagar have been agitated over the constant problem of elephants destroying their farm produce. These villagers from Halduchaur, Beriparav and Mota Haldu have been alleging that they have to sit in their farms with burning torches at night to scare away the elephants.

“Earlier we had to suffer on account of the destruction of crops by locusts and other pests, while now the elephants are creating havoc,” they said. They have sought an early development of an elephant corridor.

The agitators from the Sundarkhal Sangharsh Samiti were agitated over the failure of the Forest Department to check the growing attacks by the wild cats. Besides a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the family members of those killed in such attacks, they have sought long-term solutions to the problems.