615 HIV cases detected in Uttaranchal in six years: Behad

Dehradun, August 21 (UNI) Uttaranchal Health and Family Welfare Minister Tilak Raj Behad today said a total of 615 cases of HIV have been detected in the state in last six years, of which 30 cases have been confirmed as AIDS patients and nine persons have died of the disease so far.

Speaking to the mediapersons on the sideline of an inaugural function of state's first Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Centre at Doon Hospital here, Mr Behad said, ''Presently Anti Retroviral Medicines sufficient for 200 patients have been received from the Central Government for free distribution to the patients.'' With ART centre coming into existence at Dehradun the patients do not have to go to any other place like Chandigarh for the therapy, he said.

Meanwhile, Additional Project Director of AIDS Control Society Uttarancahl A P Mamgain said, ''There are in all 16 volunteer Counselling Testing Centres in the state and the government is planning to have six more centres in future,'' adding that with more of such centres coming up, it is likely that more clandestine HIV cases would be detected in the state.

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