Morung Express News
DIMAPUR | JUNE 12
Hotels and lodges in the commercial hub of Dimapur have joined the fight against HIV/AIDS by agreeing to make condoms available - on demand - to their clients and boarders. Around 40 proprietors and staff of hotels and lodges who attended the advocacy workshop for Hotel Federation, Dimapur unit, organized by Nagaland State Aids Control Society (NSACS) Friday here at Tourist Lodge, also agreed to put up posters highlighting dangers and consequences of unsafe sex in their hotel walls.
Voicing equal concern over the rise in HIV/AIDS cases in Dimapur, the hotel representatives consented to most of the suggestions put forward by facilitators of the workshop, namely Abino Khate, Deputy Director, NSACS; K Ela, Director, Prodigals’ Home, and Inatoli, Director of Guardian Angel.
Some of the suggestions made were: to restrict minors and children wearing school or college uniform from booking hotel rooms, to cooperate with law enforcement agencies and NGOs for health and safety of every individual (client), networking with NGOs for different services related to HIV/AIDS. Appreciating the response of the hoteliers and their representative, the facilitators expressed confidence that the hotels and lodges would become center points of information and prevention of HIV/AIDS.
uring the panel discussion led by Regional Programme Advisor, National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), Tushimenla Imlong, many of the hotel representatives shared their views, including alleged harassment by police to hotel staff for providing condoms to hotel clients.
NSACS said it would take up the matter with the department in concern so that hotel staff are not harassed for providing condoms on demand to clients. The representatives also felt that keeping condoms openly in drawers of hotel rooms would hurt the propriety of some clients who come with their family. Another hotelier admitted that most clients, both male and female, are offended when the hotel offers them free contraceptives.
