Several attracted to Health Ministry’s ‘Test of Love’

Feb 15, 2010 News

By early afternoon on Saturday, more than 131 persons had already been tested for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) as part of a testing activity orchestrated by the Ministry of Health, through the National AIDS Programme Secretariat, for the Valentine’s Day Weekend.

Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy places a hand band on a Voluntary Counsellor

Speaking to media practitioners at the City Mall around 13:00 hours Saturday, Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, disclosed that some 80 couples and 51 individuals had already been tested at that facility. However, the venture he said, was mostly focused on having couples come out together to know their status. The testing activity as a result, was deemed a ‘test of love’. It was the expectation of the Minister that the results will be as exemplary as last year when a similar feat was undertaken.
The undertaking last year saw almost 1,000 persons being tested over the Valentine’s Day Weekend which represented a major success for the Ministry in terms of taking testing services out to the public.
In fact, HIV testing countrywide had amounted to more than 300,000 when the tests conducted at the various hospitals, health centres and other facilities were tallied at the end of National Testing Week last November.
And like National Testing week, the Minister revealed that the Valentine’s Day weekend testing will become a calendar event in the activities of the Ministry of Health. In fact, he disclosed that planning for the next Valentine’s Day Testing activity was geared to commence as early as yesterday.
“These are not things that come as a result of ad hoc arrangements. It takes a lot of planning on our part and we are happy that the people are paying close attention to what we are doing.”
Testing sites, which also facilitated glucose, blood pressure and sugar tests were also in place in Regions Ten, Six and Two over the weekend.
Aside from the City Mall venue in the city, sites were also set up at the Demico House Car Park and the Fogarty’s Roundabout, according to Debra Success, National VCT Co-ordinator.
Yesterday, the testing activities continued at Parika, East Bank, Essequibo.
All those who were tested were presented with a test of love hand band.