Agartala, January 28 (TIWN): Number of HIV patients have been raising alarmingly in the Unakoti district- says the Medical Super of Kailasahar RGM Hospital, Dr. Satyajit Pal. Expressing deep concern of the rapidly growing number of HIV patients at the golden jubilee celebration of a club, Dr. Pal told that, in the month of October 2014, the number of patients have been raised to 27. But more surprisingly, in the current year, in the month of January, it had been increased to 85.

Stressing on the need of awareness campaign, Dr. Pal advised different NGOs and State Government units to conduct awareness campaign once in a month.

Recently there is an Opiod Substitute therapy diagnostic centre for the infected persons through the use of syringes. But despite that the number increased every one month.

Though in the second week of current month, at the Zilla Parishad Conference Hall, an awareness campaign is organized. But this is not enough to eradicate the disease- He further added. It is to be mentioned here that, recently the number of HIV patients at Unakoti is counted to be near about 200.

In the meantime, Tripura State Network of Positive people (TSNP) association of Tripura calls for extending helping hands towards HIV infected persons. . They urged that” If society extends help to them, they can live normally in the society and can come out with a better future. But it is very heart breaking that they are looked down as a down trodden of the society. Besides that the State Government also cannot take proper steps to secure their future as well as to arrange awareness programme to spread message not to disobey those persons.

Further they also alleged that despite specific direction of National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) and ministry of health except Agartala Govt Medical College (AGMC) and GBP Hospital, HIV test of pregnant women are not made mandatory in other hospitals. ‘In some cases health workers are not following prescribed precaution in operation theater, which increasing the incidences of HIV positive,’ It is to be mentioned here that,

According to the recent report from the Tripura Aids Control Society (TACS) a total of 143 people including 15 pregnant women were tested HIV positive this year, whereas last year as many as 72,000 blood samples were tested of which 225 persons were found to be positive and 70 pregnant women tested HIV positive in the past three years. Currently there are 68 centres for HIV test in the state which would rise to 82 by the next year.