Doctor travels 800 km on cycle to spread awareness

PUNE: Realising that physically meeting people and telling them about AIDS pandemic was more effective than organising events to which ‘people don’t pay attention’, a homoeopathic doctor undertook an 800-km journey to spread awareness about the disease. 

Dr Pawan Chandak (36) from Parbhani travelled on his bicycle to mark the World AIDS Day, observed on December 1, to reiterate this year’s theme ‘Know Your Status’, which aims at encouraging people to get tested and calling for the removal of all barriers to access HIV testing. 

The journey that ended on November 30 in the city, had begun five days before that and covered Theur, Morgaon, Siddhatek, Ranjangaon, Pali and Ashtavinayak (eight Ganpati temples in Maharashtra).

Explaining the motive behind his awareness campaign, Chandak said, “It was Baba Amte’s ‘Bharat Jodo Abhiyan’ documentary, which motivated me to travel and make people aware about HIV.” 

He felt that people at large, do not pay attention to events organised by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) and that travelling by bicycle can be a more effective way of communicating with people. 

His first cycle awareness campaign was back in 2013, where he travelled from Mumbai to Konkan.

He is the founder President of ‘Homeopathic Academy of Research and Charity’ in Parbhani, an organisation working from 2008 for the children’s (affected by HIV) education, medical treatment and rehabilitation. 

He said that he travels on his bicycle every year around World AIDS Day to reach to various civic schools, telling children about this infectious disease. 

Chandak recalled how he really appreciated the guts of a small girl during his visit to a Chakan school asked him about the symptoms of AIDS.

He feels rehabilitation of HIV-affected children plays a vital role in bringing them into the mainstream. 

“I have taken the responsibility of education of such children in Sevalaya Ashram in Latur,” he said.