AIDS cases jump to 507 in Ratodero  

LARKANA: As many as 1192 people from the general population have been screened for HIV so far out of which 507 tested HIV positive in Ratodero, and its surrounding and nearby villages.

These cases include five cases detected by the PPHI. Out of these 507 cases, 97 are adults and 410 children.

One screening camp was also organized at the Miskhan Brohi village where 202 people were screened out of which 48 were males, 31 females, and 123 children. Only one case was detected to be HIV positive.

Another camp was also established at the Tayab village where 200 people were screened which included 45 males, 36 females, and 119 children. Fortunately, none were tested positive for HIV.

Meanwhile, the Paeds HIV ward is expected to be inaugurated by the Provincial Health Minister at the Children’s Hospital of Chandka Medical College Hospital, Larkana, consisting of three rooms which have been snatched from the OPD Block. This is expected to create a lot of problems for the patients of over eight districts who arrive in the hospital daily to get specialized medical treatment for their children as this is the only hospital in the entire Larkana division for children where post-graduate doctors are posted to work.

People from Balochistan, Dadu and other districts also visit the facility for getting treatment. More than three children are being accommodated on a single bed owing to the overflow of patients.

A senior doctor said that Sindh Government had learnt no lesson so far after the sudden outbreak of large number of HIV cases in Ratodero.

He said the government would have to appoint SACP Provincial Program Manager on merit to establish good governance as the present manager had no expertise or any experience in the field of HIV/AIDS as he had mostly remained a section officer, OSD or deputy secretary in health department, which had nothing to do with the chronic & dreaded viral disease.

He urged the authorities concerned to appoint an experience hand to lead SACP to control further spread of HIV/AIDS. He further said that a massive awareness door to door drive must be launched across the province to teach the people how to keep themselves away from being infected with HIV.

He said nothing would be obtained by merely organizing workshops and lucrative seminars for the doctors.