12,000 condom vending machines: NACO

The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) has decided to install 12,000 new condom vending machines across the country, according to officials. Director General of NACO, Dr S Y Qureishi said: ‘‘We have introduced three kinds of machines—one with condoms worth Rs 5 each, another with three brands of condoms worth Rs 5, 10 and 15 each and a third multi-purpose machine, which will not only dispense condoms but other things as well.’’

Qureishi was speaking at a function here to mark the conclusion of an AIDS awareness campaign. Union Health Minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, who was the chief guest, said: ‘‘After Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, we plan to launch an awareness campaign in Delhi on December 1 and then take it to Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai.’’