AIDS patients should be treated without discrimination: Chaudhary

Patna, July 5 (UNI) Concerned with the alarming rate of spread of HIV/AIDS in the state, Bihar Legislative Assembly Speaker Udai Narain Chaudhary today urged the government and voluntary agencies to ensure treatment to patients without any discrimination.

''HIV/AIDS patients have the same right to treatment as that of the other patients, without any discrimination,'' Mr Chaudhary said while addressing a workshop of sex workers at Bettiah in West Champaran district recently.

''Bihar is ranked among the highly vulnerable states as its nine bordering districts are facing the silent epidemic due to the presence of migrant workers and open international border,'' he said and pointed out that prevalence of this disease was also high in West Champaran district.

He exhorted the voluntary agencies to work in tandem with state and union government for checking the spread of this disease and said it could be effectively done through public awareness.

There were approximately 13,000 reported HIV positivecases, 1,530 AIDS patients and 126 persons had already died of this deadly disease in Bihar.

UNI