Chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi flags off the rally in Patna on Monday. Picture by Jai Prakash

Chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Monday flagged off a rally to stop discrimination against AIDS patients.

Several organisations held programmes to mark World AIDS Day on Monday. One of them was the Bihar State AIDS Control Society, whose rally the chief minister inaugurated near Patna Women’s College.

Every organisation had only one message — stop discrimination against AIDS patients and provide them every right they deserve.

Manjhi, while inaugurating the rally, emphasised on the precautions to be taken against the disease. He also said it clear that AIDS patients should not be discriminated.

“There is a lot of stigma associated with this disease. AIDS patients are discriminated against a lot, but we should not forget that they too are human beings,” said Manjhi after releasing pink balloons in the air.

With him at the rally were health minister Ramdhani Singh and health secretary Brajesh Mehrotra.

At the programme were also 1,000 students from several institutions, including Patna Women’s College, Patna Science College, Chanakya National Law University and AN College. The students — keen to spread the message of World AIDS Day — started the rally from near the Patna Women’s College gate and ended at Kargil Chowk.

Apart from the rally, the Bihar State AIDS Control Society organised a blood donation camp.

Officials of State Health Society, Bihar, and the AIDS control society donated blood during the drive. “Thirteen units of blood were collected at the blood donation camp. All those who participated were given certificates. We held a quiz at Chanakya National Law University where around 80 students from different colleges were asked questions related to AIDS,” said Manoj Kumar Sinha, the information, communication and education officer of Bihar State AIDS Control Society.

The law university students won the quiz, followed by AN College and Patna Women’s Training College students in the second and third positions, respectively.

Earlier in the day, members of Bihar Network for People Living with AIDS took out a rally, while Believers Church organised an awareness campaign in association with the government girls’ higher secondary school in Shastri Nagar.

At least 200 members of the Church attended the programme, while the Bihar Network for People Living with AIDS event was attended by AIDS patients and HIV positive people. The organisation also held a seminar on social welfare scheme for AIDS patients at Patna Medical College and Hospital.

Sudhanshu Singh, the deputy superintendent of Patna Medical College and Hospital, announced at the programme that the entire test of PLHIV (people living with HIV) group would be done for free at the Doyen (private diagnostic) test centre at the health hub.

“If the Doyen team demands money from PLHIV group patients, they can inform me. Immediate action would be taken against those responsible,” he added.

Patna Medical College principal Dr S.N. Sinha, Patna Medical College and Hospital superintendent Dr Lakhendra Prasad, anti-retroviral therapy centre medical officer Dr Imran Saba also attended the programme.