The HIV positive cases are surging in Sindh as the number of registered patients has reached 1,755 at the Sindh HIV/AIDS Treatment and Care Centre.

As many as 108 new patients have been registered since June 19, 2017. Larkana district tops the list with 810 HIV positive patients, Kambar-Shahdadkot 265 patients, Dadu 173 patients and Khairpur 168 patients.

Shikarpur district has 87 HIV positive patients and stands fifth in the list at the centre. As many as 275 positive patients, including two transgender people and 55 women, have been registered in Larkana since January 2017.

Last year, 445 people were registered out of which 89 were women and three transgender people.

The centre has yet to be provided a Viral Load Test (VLT) facility despite having a number of patients).

The SACP has been in the correspondence with the Aga Khan Hospital authorities to carryout VLTs, however, officials in the Health Department have revealed that they have demanded advance payment as it is not viable for them to wait for the bill to get passed until they get paid. The VLT is essential for proper treatment and at the moment all patients have to go to Karachi to get the test done, but a majority of patients cannot afford travelling and other costs connected with getting the test done.

Out of the 1,755 patients, as many as 181 are suffering from Hepatitis C, including 164 men and 17 women. Around 22 patients have been diagnosed with Hepatitis B which includes 18 men, three women and one transgender. Read more via Daily Times