AIIMS Professor Supports Mandatory HIV Test for Truck Drivers

[Guest guest]

Dear Dr. Gilada,

I am sorry not to agree with you on some points while I do agree on other

points.

I disagreement is for your condemnation for government's policy to mendatory

testing of truck drivers. I know that you are an NGO and NGO's world over

have somehow made a mind to oppose every act of gvernment. Your opposition

is based on that why from bottom?. I did not expect such a non-scientific

opposition from a medically qualified doctor.

I am sure that If I ask from you the data that in India how many politians

have been found HIV positive vis-a-vis truck drivers, what will be your answer?.

Tell me honestly. So why you are making news without any substance.

The truck drivers (and according to our study even the jailmates) are high risk

populations. Their testing and counselling is not important only for themselves

but also for the society.

They are spreading infection from one corner of the country to another through

innocent and illeterate passive parteners/preys.

Sorry once again for my support to the ministry's order.

Yours,

Dr. Sarman Singh

Additional Professor and Head,

Clinical Microbiolgy and Chief AIDS Counsellor,

All India Institute of Medical Sciences,

New Delhi

E-mail: <ssingh56@...>

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[Guest guest]

Dear Forum mebers,

Prof. Singh wrote, ... " The truck drivers (and according to our study even the

jailmates) are highrisk populations. Their testing and counselling is not

important only for themselves but also for the society. They are spreading

infection from one corner of the country to another through innocent and

illeterate passive parteners/preys. Sorry once again for my support to the

ministry's order.

I think that everyone knows that truck drivers represent one high risk

population for the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. " ...

However, AIDS clearly does not discriminate!

Now, I believe Dr. Singh points to a possible middle path solution. The

MANDATORY testing is the part with which I think most people find

economically ill-advised and deeply discriminatory. However, I think

everyone here would agree that a targeted government program to provide

truckers with safer sex education, condoms and the OPPORTUNITY for testing

and counselling is a much more sensible way to approach what is a serious

problem.

The debate then becomes one of how best to allocate scarce resources for

the best ends of prevention efforts to slow the spread of HIV disease.

This will assure more money is available for the other piece of the public

policy approach toward AIDS: caring for infected individuals, assuring

access to appropriate diagnostic techniques and antiretroviral or

opportunistic infection drug therapy as indicated.

M.

E-maiL <gmc0@...>

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