HIV/AIDS cases on the rise in Gulbarga

Gulbarga, Dec 31 (UNI) This backward district of Karnataka has registered a steep rise in HIV/AIDS cases, bagging the dubious distinction of being one of the highest HIV prevalent districts in the State.

Government Hospital sources told UNI that the deadly virus was assuming alarming proportions as the number of HIV positive cases had sharply risen from just 66 in 2002 to 463 in 2005. Till November this year, 375 new HIV positive cases had been registered. Of the 1,698 HIV positive cases in the district, about 169 were suffering from AIDS, the sources added.

The Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) centre, opened on August 15 last in the 750-bed GH here, has given a ray of hope to the HIV infected. At present, there are three ART centres in the State, the other two being in Bowring Hospital in Bangalore and the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences in Hubli.

ART in-charge Dr P L Rosalkar said so far, 284 HIV cases from Gulbarga and Bidar districts have been admitted in the ART centre here. Of them, 129 including 49 women and four children are being treated.

He explained that the ART involves administration of high active anti-retroviral drugs called HAART. Though it costs up to Rs 7,000 for a month's course, the medicines, supplied by the Karnataka AIDS Prevention Society, are being provided to HIV patients free of cost. ''Once the ART treatment is started, the patient has to take anti-retroviral drugs for life. The patient can survive for more than ten years,'' he said.

Dr Rosalkar said all HIV positive patients were not given ART treatment, but only those whose cd4+ count was less than 200. Those whose cd4+ count was more than 350 and who did not fall under the III and IV stage would be kept under observation and treated for infections like TB. ''The patient has to undergo three blood tests for pillus-tridt-HIV comb. Unfortunately, the high technology western blot blood test is not available here,'' he lamented.

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