Mysuru: AIDS Society of India President Dr. I.S. Gilada said that Indian pharmaceutical companies are responsible for saving the lives of 92 per cent of the people with HIV, as they outsource the manufacture of medicines to India.

He was speaking after inaugurating the 20th Anniversary of Asha Kirana Charitable Trust, here yesterday at a private convention hall and said if a medicine costs 100 dollars, Indian pharmaceutical companies are capable of producing the same medicine at just one dollar.

“Earlier, Indian medicines were considered spurious and the western pharmaceutical companies would take these medicines to test them in their laboratories. When they found that it was genuine, they did not tell the world that it was good but kept quiet. Whenever the Western world keeps quiet in such things, it means it is good,” he said.

According to Dr. Gilada, ART (Anti-Retroviral Therapy) medications, which treat HIV is the gift of Government of India to the world. However, the sad part is we ourselves do not recognise this great contribution. “Everybody wants the neighbour’s children to be a Mahatma Gandhi or a Bhagat Singh. But they do not want their own children to mould their lives like these great leaders because it involves a lot of sacrifice,” he observed.

Lauding the efforts of Asha Kirana, he said the four pillars of success that any organisation needs are Location, Initiative, Projection and Promotion, which Dr. S.N. Mothi and his team of dedicated Trustees and staff have achieved.

“There is no vaccine yet which can eliminate AIDS HIV. Hence do not stop the good treatment of ART,” said Dr. Gilada.

Dr. R. Balasubramaniam, Founder of Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM), speaking as the  chief guest  said that the services rendered by Asha Kirana can be best described by three Hs of Swami Vivekananda — Heart to Feel, Head to think and Hands to work.

“There is a general misconception that organisation and institution is one and the same and Asha Kirana is sometimes described as an organisation. However, there is a big difference. Organisation is just an organism, an organised way of functioning whereas institution transcends this barrier and the reason is because you need leadership and values, which this institution has in its founder Dr. Mothi and his team,” he said.

The greatest strength of leadership is when he or she makes every single employee value his job. “All problems are solvable. In America, President Trump has posed a new problem in declaring Jerusalem as capital of Israel. But people will have to find a solution to it,” he said.

Dr. Balasubramaniam called upon Asha Kirana to go beyond just holding conferences and conducting training programmes and tackle new problems facing the health sector and society and dedicate themselves to the service of humanity.

Dr. K.S. Sachdeva, Deputy Director General, NACO (National AIDS Control Organisation) said that the GeneXpert machine that was donated to Asha Kirana by Kluber Lubrication not only diagnoses TB, but also Hepatitis B and other tests.

“There is a stigma attached to the disease due to lack of awareness and we have to step up the effort to stop the reversal of AIDS. We need to compliment US-based NGO Focus on AIDS for their great philanthropic work,” he said.

On the occasion, Focus on AIDS  donated 20,000 dollars to Asha Kirana. Dr. Mothi welcomed and spoke about the journey of Asha Kirana. Trustee Raian Irani proposed a vote of thanks. K. Harish Machaiah compered.

‘Free sex culture’

Alluding to the running battle Dr. Gilada had with Osho Rajneesh those days regarding free sex advocated by him, the AIDS Society Chief had told the followers of Rajneesh, “Free sex culture cannot be HIV-free culture.”