RATODERO:Five more children were tested HIV positive at the screening camp which is working since past three months at Taluka Headquarter Hospital, here Friday out of 54 people who reached the camp for screening, bringing the number of affected kids to 790 which indeed is very alarming state of affairs.
So far 32,817 people among the general population have been screened out of which 963 have been detected HIV positive and of them only 173 are adults and rest are children. However, Sindh AIDS Control Program claimed that no case was found at any of the outreach site of Banguldero, Naundero, Lashari, Pir Bux Bhutto and Garhi Yasin where 18 people reached for testing their blood if they are suffering from the dreaded viral disease which has created lot of panic among the residents of Larkana’s Ratodero town and its nearby villages.
However, Dr. Irfan Shaikh, Incharge ART Center, Chandka Children Hospital told this scribe that so far 735 HIV positive children of Ratodero have been registered at the Center out of which 577 children have been given medicines and rest are still on waiting list. He however failed to give data of children who are suffering from co-infections.
Meanwhile, Dr. Masood Solangi, Director General, Health Services Sindh, has imposed martial-law in Health Department by issuing a letter to all Medical Superintendents and District Health Officers across Sindh not to talk to media persons without prior permission which is shows that health managers are hiding facts from media persons and also amounts sheer violation of human rights. Dr. Azra Pechuho, Provincial Health and Population Welfare Minister must take notice of this daring highhandedness by a government servant and direct him to withdraw such letter forthwith.