Tweet
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><SPAN class=TopStory>Bennett blasts gov't over drug programme for people living with HIV/AIDS</SPAN>
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>INGRID BROWN, Observer staff reporter
Saturday, February 03, 2007
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=185 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>BENNETT. all of this is being done in preparation for the comfort and satisfaction of some visitor or the other</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>HYACINTH Bennett, former president of the National Democratic Movement (NDM) and founder of the Hydel Group of Schools, has blasted government for not providing free antiretroviral drugs and accompanying vitamins to people infected with the HIV virus.<P class=StoryText align=justify>She argued that instead of charging $1,000 per month for antiretroviral drugs - a sum which many people are unable to afford - government ought to divert some of the money it spends on providing 'handouts' to potential voters to the drug programme for people living with HIV/AIDS.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"It is well known that able-bodied potential voters hardly fail to receive, from politicians, handouts of chickens, curry goat, zinc, Heineken, bags of fertilisers, big-breed goats and often raw hot cash as pre-payment for votes," Bennett said.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"Why then can't unemployed persons living with HIV/AIDS be given free of cost the ARV drugs and the accompanying vitamins?" Bennett asked. She was addressing the launch of the Jamaica AIDS Support for Life (JASL) manual for empowering women to protect themselves from the disease on Monday.<P class=StoryText align=justify>She also argued that Jamaica's progress as a nation ought not to be assessed solely by the "splendour" of highways, number of new hotels, reported surge in visitor arrivals, or the staging of Cricket World Cup.<P class=StoryText align=justify>In fact, Bennett likened Jamaica's preparation for Cricket World Cup to the deeply entrenched practice by some people who only "clean and scrub" when they expect visitors, for whom they also lay out the "best china and bed linen never before used by members of the households".<P class=StoryText align=justify>Added Bennett: "All of this is being done in preparation for the comfort and satisfaction of some visitor or the other."<P class=StoryText align=justify>Instead, she said the progress of the nation must be judged by the well-being of all people, including their quality of health, education, nutrition and the extent to which they have access to timely and relevant information.<P class=StoryText align=justify>In addition, Bennett pointed out that while some Jamaicans believe Ainsley Reid and Aneisha Taylor - two people living with HIV who came forward to tell their stories - are living a seemingly glorious life, the two are not truly representative of the 25,000 people living with the disease.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Concerns, Bennett said, must also be raised about the discrimination meted out by some health workers "who were trained at taxpayers' expense" to people living with HIV/AIDS.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"Let's assign to the scrap heap of history, the old, uncaring, insensitive ways in which we relate to the AIDS pandemic and to persons living with the disease," she said.<P class=StoryText align=justify>In the same breath, she called on people living with the disease to join forces in sending the message that those who are sexually active must take responsibility for their actions and health.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"I implore you to join the education thrust and to help families where HIV/AIDS has struck,
<SPAN class=Subheadline></SPAN></TD></TR><TR><TD>INGRID BROWN, Observer staff reporter
Saturday, February 03, 2007
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=185 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD><SPAN class=Description>BENNETT. all of this is being done in preparation for the comfort and satisfaction of some visitor or the other</SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><P class=StoryText align=justify>HYACINTH Bennett, former president of the National Democratic Movement (NDM) and founder of the Hydel Group of Schools, has blasted government for not providing free antiretroviral drugs and accompanying vitamins to people infected with the HIV virus.<P class=StoryText align=justify>She argued that instead of charging $1,000 per month for antiretroviral drugs - a sum which many people are unable to afford - government ought to divert some of the money it spends on providing 'handouts' to potential voters to the drug programme for people living with HIV/AIDS.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"It is well known that able-bodied potential voters hardly fail to receive, from politicians, handouts of chickens, curry goat, zinc, Heineken, bags of fertilisers, big-breed goats and often raw hot cash as pre-payment for votes," Bennett said.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"Why then can't unemployed persons living with HIV/AIDS be given free of cost the ARV drugs and the accompanying vitamins?" Bennett asked. She was addressing the launch of the Jamaica AIDS Support for Life (JASL) manual for empowering women to protect themselves from the disease on Monday.<P class=StoryText align=justify>She also argued that Jamaica's progress as a nation ought not to be assessed solely by the "splendour" of highways, number of new hotels, reported surge in visitor arrivals, or the staging of Cricket World Cup.<P class=StoryText align=justify>In fact, Bennett likened Jamaica's preparation for Cricket World Cup to the deeply entrenched practice by some people who only "clean and scrub" when they expect visitors, for whom they also lay out the "best china and bed linen never before used by members of the households".<P class=StoryText align=justify>Added Bennett: "All of this is being done in preparation for the comfort and satisfaction of some visitor or the other."<P class=StoryText align=justify>Instead, she said the progress of the nation must be judged by the well-being of all people, including their quality of health, education, nutrition and the extent to which they have access to timely and relevant information.<P class=StoryText align=justify>In addition, Bennett pointed out that while some Jamaicans believe Ainsley Reid and Aneisha Taylor - two people living with HIV who came forward to tell their stories - are living a seemingly glorious life, the two are not truly representative of the 25,000 people living with the disease.<P class=StoryText align=justify>Concerns, Bennett said, must also be raised about the discrimination meted out by some health workers "who were trained at taxpayers' expense" to people living with HIV/AIDS.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"Let's assign to the scrap heap of history, the old, uncaring, insensitive ways in which we relate to the AIDS pandemic and to persons living with the disease," she said.<P class=StoryText align=justify>In the same breath, she called on people living with the disease to join forces in sending the message that those who are sexually active must take responsibility for their actions and health.<P class=StoryText align=justify>"I implore you to join the education thrust and to help families where HIV/AIDS has struck,