AIDS Control Society in Imphal stages sit-in protest

Workers of Manipur State AIDS Control Society Employees' Association staged a protest in Imphal, supporting a call given by the All India AIDS Control Employees Association.

The strike severely affected 24,000 patients due to the closure of the office. Employees demanded regularisation, enhanced salaries and streamlining supply of medicine for AIDS victims.

Irate Steering Committee Member and an employee of Manipur State Aids Control Society (MACS), Phillips, said there is a limit to everything.

"It's been quiet long that we have been dissatisfied with the policy and the program which is being put forward by NACO (National AIDS Control Organisation) from time to time, but we have hold on our emotions, we have hold on our anger, we have hold on everything because we feel that we are working for a HIV community so we feel that we have certain responsibilities towards our clients also. They have a right, so looking towards that we have been holding our anger, our resentment but there is a limit to everything," said Phillips.

Manipur is one of the six highest prevalence states in India with HIV prevalence rate among pregnant women.

Agitated members staged a sit-in-protest and denounced pay anomalies and highlighted other grievances.

Some 34 million people worldwide are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS - the vast majority of them in poor and developing countries.

But while, particularly in wealthy nations, there are many effective drugs available that allow HIV patients to live long, healthy lives, they often have side-effects and drug resistance can become a problem with long-term use.