LARKANA: Provincial Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho has warned media persons not to disclose the identity of affected HIV positive cases or else notices will be issued against them.
She was addressing a press conference at the Commissioner’s Office here on Tuesday after presiding over a high-level meeting in connection with the outbreak of dreaded viral HIV disease in Ratodero, a constituency of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his aunt Faryal Talpur.
Most of the affected cases are of children. She said after the surfacing of so many cases, a team consisting of experts from Aga Khan University Hospital, Dow University and others was constituted which still investigating the root cause of the spread of HIV and from where it started.
She said they had established medical camps to find out how many people had been affected, adding that due to a rush of the general population, doctors and staff posted at these camps were facing troubles.
“We have decided to establish more medical camps at villages Saidu Dero, Pir Bux Bhutto, Lashari, Naundero and Garhi Khuda Bux Bhutto where people from the general population would come and get themselves tested,” she said.
The minister said that over 11,000 people had so far been screened out of which a large number had been detected to be HIV positive. She said that the treatment of affected people would be provided in a smooth manner.
She said that publishing photos, names and addresses of HIV positive cases by print and electronic media was extremely unethical while the law does not permit it either.
She warned that if a single such incident appeared again then stern action will be taken against the media and notices will be sent to the relevant organisation.
She further said that so far 400 clinics of quacks, laboratories and illegal blood banks in Larkana, Kambar-Shahdadkot and other districts have been sealed while the authorities are looking into complaints from Larkana regarding some elements selling used syringes after repacking them.
Dr Azra Pechuho said that she has instructed all government hospitals to make used syringes unusable after one use and for procured disposable syringes be checked before use. “Awareness is absolutely necessary because this is a disease that will remain with the patient for his/her whole life. Some UN donors are with us and an amount will be reserved for HIV/AIDS patients in the next provincial budget,” she added.
She confessed that the condition of the largest Teaching Hospital of rural Sindh, Chandka Medical College Hospital, is highly worrisome and added that she will suggest the government to keep maximum funds for this hospital so that it could be run properly.
“All stakeholders must take efforts to eliminate HIV from Larkana because it is a national cause. Health officials should procure more HIV testing kits for which a summary should be prepared and sent to me if a budget is needed. I will get it approved from the Sindh chief minister,” she concluded.