AMBALA (Satish Handa): District Health Department Ambala declared alert after a survey report 2018-20 conducted by a team of Anti Retro-viral  Treatment (ART) Centre when as many as 56 drug addicts and nine female sex workers were identified HIV positive at twin city Ambala. On the basis of OPD at civil hospitals at Ambala Cantt, civil hospital Ambala City, Primary Health Centres and Community Health Centres in the district the team contacted patients suffering from HIV positive virus when most of them were not prepared to disclose their identity but after counselling they agreed to undertake treatment for dreaded HIV positive, AIDS disease. Dr Pawan Deputy CMO Civil Hospital Ambala expressed deep concern over increasing risk due to HIV virus and started awareness programme as well as counselling in this regard.

Shockingly, the survey team prepared a list of 56 drug addicted patients suffering from HIV positive and nine female sex workers on the information of government hospitals and during investigation found that most of drug addict HIV positive patients were infected due to use of same syringes while injection drugs in their body and became HIV positive. ART Centre survey revealed that it was difficult to trace out female sex workers and during survey most of them refused to disclose their identity and have treatment in the beginning but after thorough counselling six of them agreed to get them medically checked up and treated. In all cases it was found that all patients sustained HIV positive infection after having contact with a person suffering from HIV positive virus or dreaded disease AIDS while having sex relationship. Dr Kuldeep CMO Ambala district said, District Health Department had conducted several awareness programmes including ‘Nukkad Natak’ at public places in the district in urban as well as rural areas as well as educational institutes to bring awareness about HIV positive and dreaded disease AIDS during World AIDS Day.