Asom has more than 26,000 HIV positive people

Guwahati, Dec 13 (UNI) As many as 26,000 HIV positive people have been detected in Asom after a survey report released by the National Aids Control Organisation (NACO).

State Health Minister Dr Himanta Bishwa Sharma has informed this in the State Assembly saying the dreaded AIDS might turn out to be a more dangerous problem than the insurgency and called upon the Speaker to constitute a standing committee of the House to monitor implementation of AIDS related programmes in the state.

He informed the House that according to the report, the total number of HIV positive people persons would be more than 26,000, as a separate survey reporting put at 31,000.

Mr Sharma said that total 1576 HIV infected people were so far identified in the state. He said that modern medicines can increase the life span of the infected people and the Government should take steps to provide such medicines free of cost to the infected people.

Earlier, treatment facilities were available only in the Guwahati Medical College Hospital but recently such facilities were made available in Assam Medical College Hospital at Dibrugarh and very soon the same would be available in the Silchar Medical College in South Asom.

The government is mulling to launch a scheme to bear the cost of transportation for AIDS patients to help them undergo specialized treatment available in the government medical colleges. The major problem posed to tackling AIDS in the state was the stigma attached and infected persons were hesitant to come forward to avail treatment available.

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