Berhampur: Ganjam district which used to record the highest number of AIDS patients in the state is witnessing a steady decline in the number of AIDS patients.
The district is witnessing a fall in the number of AIDS patients as only 16,515 patients were identified in the district by the month of October, this year. A report by the District AIDS Cell said that only 318 patients were identified in the month of October. But the scenario is still alarming and the administration should not be complacent, experts warned.
In the district, Polsara block has 1,245 AIDS patients, the highest in the district while 929 pregnant women have been found HIV positive from 2000 till October, 2020. The death toll stands at 412 within this period.
The state government and Centre are taking a series of steps to check the spread of AIDS in the district and state. The National AIDS Control Society (NACO) under Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare through the State AIDS Control Society is providing treatment facilities and free medicines to the patients and also conducting awareness programme to check the spread of the dreaded disease.
The AIDS patients are being provided treatment facilities through the ART centres at MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur, Bhanjanagar hospital and through the link ART centres at Aska, Polsara and Khallikote hospitals .
The MKCG Medical College and Hospital has provision for blood sample testing. However, severe staff crunch is impeding the battle against AIDS. Posts of 11 laboratory technicians are lying vacant in various blocks while the posts of two data entry operators are lying vacant in the Berhampur-based office of the District AIDS Control Society.
Reports said that every year people from the district migrate to cities like Surat, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore and Chennai for livelihood. There they work in various firms and end up getting HIV affected due to unprotected sex, officials in the health department said.
These people after getting afflicted with AIDS return home and spread the disease to their spouse and children. However, the sincere and sustained efforts of NACO and State AIDS Control Society have paid off as the district is witnessing an improvement in the AIDS condition. The decline in the cases this year is attributed to spread of Covid pandemic in the country.
Officials said over 13,96,199 people have been counseled for the disease while HIV test was conducted on 12, 37,337 persons from 2000 till October 2020. Among them, blood samples of 16,515 persons were found HIV positive, Hemant Dash, DPM of district AIDS Cell said.
As many as 412 patients have died from 2000 to October 2020 while Polsara block has 1,245 AIDS patients, the highest in the district. While 929 pregnant women were found HIV positive from 2000 to October, 2020 only 30 pregnant women were found HIV positive by the end of October, this year.
Reports said that counseling was provided to 78,189 persons by the end of October, 2020 while 76,711 persons underwent HIV test by October, 2020. Among them, 318 persons were found HIV positive.
Similarly, 34,410 pregnant women were given counseling by the end of October, 2020 while 33,636 pregnant women underwent the test. Among them, 30 women were found HIV positive.
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