Daily Times

In the ongoing blood screening process, two new HIV positive cases were identified here on Friday; raising to toll to 751. As many as 65 people were screened on the second day of Eidul Fitr.

As per Sindh AIDS Control Program (SACP) Provincial Program Manager Dr Sikandar Ali Memon, 26,236 people among the general population have been tested in Ratodero and its surrounding areas so far.

While talking to the correspondent, he added that 614 out of the 751 HIV-positive patients found to date were children.

He claimed there was no dearth of treatment medicines as flashed by various media channels and all children are and would be provided drugs.

On the second day of Eid, he continued, a five-year-old child was detected out of ten people screened as there was no screening camp on Eid. Dr Memon noted since then, the testing procedure had resumed.

Meanwhile, members of civil society held a protest demonstration at Jinnah Bagh roundabout in Larkana, which was also participated by social welfare, nationalist, political and non-political organisations.

While talking to newsmen, Gul Bahar Shaikh, Rafique Soomro, Ayaz Jaffery, Dr Tarique Soomro, Liaquat Mirani and others alleged that due to the sheer negligence of provincial health department and SACP, the massive HIV outbreak had surfaced in Ratodero and its adjoining villages.

Over 750 people were said to have been very badly affected most of which were little children.

They said no expert doctors were so far posted in the children wards in Ratodero and Larkana as well as at the screening camps.

It was alleged that medical officers posted to look after the wards were unaware of this dreaded viral disease.

The protestors further maintained that those doctors were only giving syrups (Septran and Calpol) to the patients and sending them back. This proved, they asserted, that the patients were not being provided with the required treatment and drugs.

They further claimed that during the last 45 days, 16 patients had expired due to non-provision of proper treatment and medicines.

The demonstrators held the provincial government solely responsible for this catastrophe.

Strongly condemning the inhuman act, they demanded that Sindh Government, Health Department, World Health Organisation (WHO) and other international organisations provide better treatment and healthcare facilities to the affected poverty-ridden children and their families to save their precious lives.

Failure to do so would force them to extend the scope of their protest across Sindh, they warned.