varanasi in order to improve the survival and quality of life of people living with hiv plhiv banaras network for positive people living bnppl with hiv aids society started a care and support centre under vihaan programme in consultation with national aids control organisation naco recently dr jaya chakravarty dr preeti and dr archana from institute of medical sciences ims banaras hindu university bhu inaugurated the centre at durgakund area of the city bnppl hiv aids society is run and managed by hiv positive people themselves and has been helping hiv patients to come to lead a healthy and dignified life for over a decade when there was no art centre for hiv positive people in uttar pradesh the csc will extend support to hiv positive people in 15 different districts according to president bnppl manoj singh the main objective of the centre will be to register all the positive people and give counselling to them it will also be checked that these people are taking regular medicines through art centres at the same time people who have left the treatment will also be connected by carrying out extensive search and will be put on the treatment once again by giving appropriate counselling to them he informed according to dr jaya chakravarty from ims around 60 of the hiv patients who are listed under preart at the art centre of sir sundar lal ssl hospital banaras hindu university bhu do not revert back or turn up for the regular checkup the preart person often leave the regular checkup out of social stigma or getting indulged in adverse practices of treatment such people are the higher risk factor in the society said manoj the volunteers of bnppl will fight against cases of discrimination that surface against positive people in the region alongside helping hiv positive people to come out of the stigma and depression social stigma and discrimination prevails in the region even i was in a terrible shock when i came to know seven years ago that i was hiv positive said manoj a 15member team comprising doctors social workers lawyers and others will also be formed to take up the cause of discrimination against hiv patients we will keep a check in district hospital divisional hospital as well as at health posts community health centres chcs and primary health centres phcs for such cases the patients will also be introduced with various welfare schemes of the government which are meant for them he said