1,783 AIDS sufferers in MP: govt

Bhopal, July 18 (UNI) The number of recorded AIDS sufferers in Madhya Pradesh has increased to 1,783 from 797 in 2001, Health Minister Ajay Vishnoi informed the Assembly today.

''Awareness campaigns are being organised by the government and the number of HIV diagnosis centres has spurted to 42 as compared to merely three, five years back,'' he said while replying to a call attention notice by Mr Sajjan Singh Verma and Mr Govind Singh (both Congress).

Pointing out that the State AIDS Control Committee received in excess of Rs 45 crore -- over the past eight years -- from the World Bank and other institutes, Mr Vishnoi added that Rs 2.24 crore -- from that amount -- were allotted to voluntary organisations.

''A dozen such organisations are running awareness campaigns.

Rajgarh district's Medical Counselling Centre was separated from the drive as its work was unsatisfactory. However, it is wrong to allege that voluntary organisations are conniving with officials to misuse funds,'' the minister said.

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