Imphal, October 11: A one-day district level interaction programme for PLWHAs, health care providers and community (NGOs) of Imphal East was held at the conference hall of State Guest House here today.

Facilitated by Imphal East Network of Positive People, the programme was attended by District AIDS Officer Dr Birachandra, Dr S Raghumani and Dr Priyokumar of JN Hospital, Dr Premchand of MACS, representatives of NGOs working in the field and HIV positive people.

In response to a question on the safeness of the blood available in the blood banks, Dr Priyokumar made it clear that there is no 100 percent guarantee on the safeness of blood available in various blood banks in Manipur presently.

It is difficult to say that the blood available in the blood banks of RIMS, JN Hospital, District Hospital Churachandpur are totally free from HIV, Hepatitis B and C virus, he said.

He explained care should be taken while accepting blood from a person who might have been routes of the HIV as the virus could not be detected during the window period.

Even if the result of the blood test is found to be negative, the virus is already present in the blood of a HIV patient.

So there is every chances of passing on the virus to another person through blood transfusion, Dr Priyokumar cautioned.

So if a person had undergone blood test for HIV, she or should go for another test after three months and during this period he/she should not indulges in any activities that might pass on the virus to another person, added the expert.

Senior nurse of JN Hospital Radharani observed that lack of proper facilities for counselling of the nurses on HIV/AIDS is one factor that could encourage discrimination of the patients.

Any patient, whether it be of HIV or others, nurses are the first persons who have to take care of directly.

But the counselling facilities being extended by MACS to the nurses is still minimal.

So when a nurse come to know the HIV status of a patient, there are cases of discriminating the patient by the nurse out of fear of getting infected.

So special attention should be given for providing proper counselling to the nurses.

The problems being faced by the HIV patients were also discussed during the interaction programme.

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