F.P. Report
LARKANA: At least 65 people, most of them being children were confirmed as HIV-positive in Ratodero, Larkana district on Wednesday.
According to reports, the HIV positive cases have reached to 65, screening of at least 2,000 outpatients determined at the camps established in Larkana.
Earlier on Tuesday, Police detained Dr Muzaffar Ghangharo – who is under a three-day physical remand on charges of infecting dozens of his patients with HIV – believed to be the cause of the recent alarming spike in HIV-positive cases in the district.
He was arrested after an official of the anti-quackery team, Dr Abdul Sami Rajpur, filed a complaint against the doctor last night.
What appears to be a deliberate attempt to inflict people – including children with HIV which causes the deadly disease of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or Aids – the doctor had been using used syringes while his registration was expired about 13 years ago.
Meanwhile, fear and panic has spread in the district as five camps have been established for screening of the people.
Sindh Aids Control Programme in-charge Dr Sikandar Memon has told the media that about 2,000 people have been diagnosed so far.
Furthermore, Sindh provincial government ostentatiously woke up and claimed to have been taking action against unregistered laboratories and their owners.
The inflicted patients were shifted to the Chandka Medical Hospital for medical attention.
Earlier this month, provincial health authorities were alarmed when the number of HIV-positive cases rose significantly – including more than a dozen children.
Supervisor of the HIV Aids Control Programme in the area, Dr Abdul Hafeez said the children who were tested HIV positive are between the ages of four months and eight years.
Without treatment, HIV-infected people go on to develop AIDS, a syndrome that weakens the immune system and leaves the body exposed to opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis, and some types of cancer.
In a shocking development, HIV-positive cases were detected in a total of 15,876 patients, whereas 237 patients have been found suffering from Aids.
Karachi tops the list with 78 patients of Aids and 11,282 others inflicted with HIV-positive from 1996 to March 2019.
In total, Sindh has 237 Aids patients and five Aids and 2,016 HIV-positive patients in Larkana only.
Likewise, in Hyderabad, 581 patients are suffering from HIV-positive with two patients of Aids.
In Sukkur, 157 patients were diagnosed with HIV-positive, Mirpur Khas has 164, Sanghar has 199 and Qambar Shahdadkot has 112.
Experts fear that if not controlled, the outbreak of Aids/HIV in Pakistan could spread with devastating consequences.
