RATODERO: HIV positive cases continue to emerge at Taluka Headquarter Hospital (THQ) Ratodero as five more cases were detected on Monday when 125 people were screened.
The toll has climbed to 930, out of which 765 are children and 165 adults.
All five detected cases were of children, which shows that the intensity of the outbreak is still continuing and is much severe.
So far 31,990 people among the general population have been screened here who belong to surrounding villages of Larkana’s Ratodero taluka.
However, no case was found at Naudero, Banguldero, Lashari, Pir Bux Bhutto and Garhi Yasin healthcare facilities where only eight people were brought for testing.
Dr Irfan Shaikh, ART centre in-charge at a children hospital said on Monday that so far 680 patients have been registered at the centre, out of which 488 have been given required medicines.
He said awareness is a major issue which should be massively carried out not only in Larkana but at Ratodero as well so that parents and civil society could be made aware of this viral disease.
Asked as to why medicines are not being given to the children in Ratodero, he replied that highly qualified doctors of TB, malnutrition, thalassaemia and other diseases were not available in Ratodero.
Meanwhile, the Sindh government is constantly avoiding Dr Timothy P Flanigan, world-renowned HIV/AIDS expert of Brown University, USA, who was expected to visit Pakistan along with his 4-member team at the end of July.
Sources told that one of the members of his team has already arrived in Islamabad and is having talks with the authorities of National AIDS Control Program (NACP) but they have been asked to attend the international conference which is scheduled to be held in Pakistan during October-November on HIV/AIDS.
These sources further said that letters sent to Sindh Government’s leaders and top bureaucrats including chief minister, health minister, chief secretary, health secretary and Sindh AIDS Control Program (SACP) Manager have so far remained unattended since July 3.
They have also sent them a two-page proposal which includes the creation of an educational campaign to reduce stigma and increase awareness about HIV/AIDS by empowering the healthcare professionals, patients and their families.