H.I.V Impetus in PPP-Led Ratodero Goes Unaddressed
On December 1, 2020, the statistics showed that nearly 1,540 H.I.V positive patients including children were found but no action was taken by Sindh government
Ratodero, the hometown of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, grabbed the attention of the world in 2019 with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (H.I.V.) breakout in the area.
While talking to News360, Dr Imran Akbar Arbani, who was the first to diagnose the H.I.V virus in Ratodero, said that on February 22, 2019, a child was brought to him with H.I.V symptoms.
“I was shocked and worried when the test came out positive in the infant”, he added.
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Dr Imran said that since then he started noticing the symptoms in several other infants and recommended tests to all of them.
“In a span of only 2 months, 20 children were diagnosed with H.I.V”.
On March 24, 2019, a girl died of the disease and the word burst out in public.
Dr Imran informed News360 that after the incident, screening of nearly 30 thousand people was conducted and the results were heart-wrenching.
“In a month nearly 900 people were found H.I.V positive”, he added.
On December 1, 2020, the statistics showed that nearly 1,540 H.I.V positive patients including children were found but no action was taken by Sindh government.
Imran Arbani informed News360 that he has been collecting data on his own and revealed that out of every 300 patients about 35 patients are coming out H.I.V positive.
While discussing the reasons behind the outbreak, the medical practitioner was of the view that the reuse of infected syringes is the main cause behind the issue.
On the other hand, empirics are also causing an increase in cases.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)- led Ratodero has no facility to test blood before transfusion. Not only this, the medical practitioner Dr muzaffar, an empiric who was responsible for the spread of H.I.V in the locals, has also started his practice again in the region.
Dr Muzaffar was found involved in the use of infected syringes that caused the outbreak of H.I.V in Ratodero.
In May 2019, chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari announced a fund of Rs 1 billion for the patients but it all went in vain and the sufferers are currently facing severe hardships.
One of the victims, Wahid Bakhsh told News360 that his two children are fighting with the fatal disease and the hospital staff has been mistreating them.
Shehmeer Rind, was of the view that his 3 cousins Ashfaq, Sadia, and Sohna have been suffering for the past 2 years and no facilities were provided to them by the government.
Another local Imtiaz Ali told News360 that he was forlorn by his family when his children were found H.I.V positive and he was compelled to leave his village and is now spending his days in a rental house.
