October 03, 2007
Brave Pannar Employees Test For HIV

The employees at PANNAR’s Head Office took courage when they saw their CEO, Deon van Rooyen set the example by taking an HIV test. Dr Albu van Eeden, CEO of Doctors for Life International led a team of DFL counsellors and did the test on Mr van Royen.

All the staff gatherd on the “Clinic Square” and listened to Mr van Rooyen and Dr van Eeden motivating them to take a voluntary, anonomous HIV test. The advantages of taking the test were spelled out clearly and the staff responded enthusiastically!

DFL’s Voluntary Counselling & Testing staff battled to manage the flood of eager (yet apprehensive) PANNAR staff who signed the consent forms and waited patiently outside the clinic. DFL opened more testing stations and by 16h00 more than 150 employees knew their HIV status.

HIV testing is now seen as an essential step to obtain proper HIV treatment and also serves as the best factor to change high risk sexual behaviour.

Mr Deon van Rooyen, CEO of PANNAR, during his welcoming address

Setting the example… Mr Deon van Rooyen, CEO of PANNAR allows Dr Albu van Eeden, CEO of Doctors for Life International to test his blood for HIV

Heinrich Botes, Coordinator of DFL’s Workplace AIDS Project, explains the benefits of an HIV test and the procedure for the day

Should we test ourselves? A portion of the PANNAR staff who attended the opening ceremony

Posters such as these were used to market the HIV Testing Day. Here, Lulu, one of the Peer Educators in the HR department speaks to the crowd.

George Neft, from HR section, has been one of the main driving forces behind the implementation of PANNAR’s very successful HIV/AIDS campaign

A few of the PANNAR Peer Educators before the testing commenced.