Team of doctors heads to Larkana

KARACHI: The health department has directed the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital to dispatch a team of medical experts to Larkana to take stock of the outbreak of HIV cases in the city.

Subsequently, the Civil Hospital's medical superintendent, Dr Khadim Hussain Qureshi, notified a team of five doctors who would travel to Larkana. They include Dr Wahidudin Pirzada, Dr Muhammad Iqbal Soomro, Dr Syed Akbar Shah, Dr Naresh Kumar and Dr Sajjad as well as a lab technician.



The services of the medical team have been handed over to the district health officer of Larkana. The team will re-examine the HIV-affected children and submit a report to the health department regarding their health condition. Dr Qureshi said that every possible effort is being made for the treatment of the affected children.

On the other hand, medical experts have expressed concern over the situation and asked the provincial government to ascertain the exact number of children infected with the virus so that adequate arrangements may be made for their treatment.

These experts have also expressed amazement over the silence of the provincial government and the health department over the case. One official said that the Sindh Aids Control program is being severely affected due to the discord among the authorities.



The efficacy of the programme has become suspect after the appointment of an officer as its manager, who does not even have basic awareness about the cure of the virus. The programme hasn't started any campaign to raise awareness among people, nor have any preventive measures been introduced.

A Karachi-based medical practitioner warned that the virus needed to be contained on an immediate basis because the situation could get more critical if the virus spread to other districts.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 3^rd, 2019.