Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada   

`Treat AIDS-hit with sympathy'

Staff Reporter

Anti-Retroviral Therapy centre opened

VIJAYAWADA: District Collector Navin Mittal has stressed the need for spreading awareness among people about prevention of AIDS in view of lack of a total cure of the disease. He wants family members of patients and society to look at patients' condition sympathetically and ensure that they will not face any mental trauma.

Mr. Mittal inaugurated an Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) centre at Government General Hospital on Ring Road on Saturday. AIDS patients from Krishna, Khammam and West Godavari districts would get treatment at this centre. ART would involve use of three types of drugs for treatment of `opportunistic infections' that affect patients.

Speaking on the occasion, the Collector said that there were 52 ART centres in the country, of which three were located in the State -- two in Hyderabad and one in Guntur. The Union Government had given permission for opening 46 more centres and nine would be set up in the State. The ART centre in the city would treat patients coming from the neighbouring areas.

Much-needed centres

Mr. Mittal said ART had been a long-standing requirement and ordered the officials to procure all required equipment to address the needs of patients.

The Collector gave away the first dose to Lanka Dharma Rao, a patient and a resident of Kandrika in the city.

DM&HO A. Ramaprasad said that drugs needed for ART centre would be provided promptly keeping in mind the needs of patients.

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