–Govt official informs lower house that out of the estimated figure, only 25,000 are registered
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly (NA) was informed on Friday that there are around 183,000 AIDS patients, while only 25,000 people are registered.
Responding to a calling attention notice moved by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Maryam Aurangzeb and others regarding increase in AIDS-related deaths in the country, Parliamentary Secretary for National Health Services Dr Nausheen Hamid said that free of cost treatment is being provided to AIDS patients at designated centres across Pakistan.
She said that 45 centres for the treatment of AIDS are working all over the country. She also said that there is a big stigma attached to AIDS and people prefer to conceal this disease and only come to get themselves registered in case of critical condition.
Nausheen said that reuse of injection syringes, unsafe blood transfusion and mishandling of hospital waste are the main reasons behind spread of this disease. She said that the federal government is taking serious steps regarding injection safety, one-time use of disposable syringes, safe blood transfusion, and hospital waste management.
The House was adjourned meet at 4:00 pm on Monday.
