India has most HIV positive cases say experts

PATIALA, MARCH 8: Out of a total of 37.50 lakh cases reported all over the world India has the largest number at 25 lakh cases. This obse...

PATIALA, MARCH 8: Out of a total of 37.50 lakh cases reported all over the world India has the largest number at 25 lakh cases. This observation was made by the experts delivering lectures on HIV infections at a continuing medical education programme of Indian Medical Association, here yesterday.

The experts on the subject, Dr Ajay Wanchoo, additional professor of internal medicine and Dr Archana Sud, assistant professor of the same department at PGI, Chandigarh, highlighted the methods of diagnosis and treatment of HIV patients and occupational hazards to the health care workers and preventive aspect of the disease. They said that India and Thailand are leading the world in number of HIV positive cases. Highest number reported in India is in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. The prominent mode of HIV transmission is through heterosexual contact at 74.6 per cent, followed by intravenous drug use 8.8 per cent blood transfusion and blood product infusion 6 per cent. In Punjab 12 per cent of the patients acquired HIV through blood infections. It is common among drivers and migrant workers 10 per 10,000.

Dr Archana Sud gave guidelines regarding risks of HIV infection to health care workers such as doctors and paramedical staff attending on patients and handling blood transfusion services. She stressed the need to take chemoprophylaxis with anti-retroviral drugs. In the event of deep injury suffered by any health worker attending on any suspected case of AIDS and such a worker must be regularly tested for HIV over a period of six months. She stressed the need for regular precautionary measures to be taken by health care workers while handling blood and other samples.

Chairman of the session, Dr A. S. Sekhon, professor and head of department of preventive and social medicine, Government Medical College, Patiala, said that although AIDS virus does not remain active in dead tissues, it has been reported that the virus remains alive for a few hours in small muscles of hands and fingers and bones of the patients who have died due to AIDS. The doctors performing postmortem autopsies on such cases must use protective measures to save themselves from getting the infection.

Co chairperson of the session Dr Kulbir Kaur, head of the transfusion department of Rajindra Hospital said that now it is mandatory to screen all units of blood for HIV. Every unit is screened before issued for transfusion.

Dr S. S. Sidhu, principal, GMC Patiala and Officiating Director, Research and Medical Education, Punjab, lauded the role of IMA at national and local level in highlighting and creating awareness about health care system. Sidhu who is a patron of IMA said that he will provide all help to IMA in its endeavour to continue serving the public health care delivery system and continuing medical education to doctors.

Dr O. P. S. Kande, Hony Secretary, IMA, Patiala, said that 50 per cent of the new HIV infections are now occurring among the young people in the age group of 10 to 24 years because they are more vulnerable to HIV than others due to uninformed curiosity. He disclosed that IMA has decided to form an IMA AIDS control youth wing.