Sargodha’s village declared highly sensitive after over 250 AIDS cases surfaced

SARGODHA - In what appeared to be great negligence on the part of the health department, the virus of a lethal disease, AIDS, found in over 250 persons of a village in Sargodha.

This was revealed by Chaudhry Mohammad Akram resident to Union Council 44 Bucha Kalan in an application sent to Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif. He stated that screening of every person of the village was conducted and the results are shocking.

He said, according to report, over 250 were found infected with the sexually transmitted disease, adding that it was turning into the epidemic.

In the application, Akram urged the chief minister to send teams of the health department and doctors, specialized in tackling the disease, to the area in order to control it.

Talking to an Urdu daily, the applicant’s son said that all members of around five families, including children and women, of the village, have been diagnosed with the dangerous disease.

He said that two brothers aged between 25-30 died recently due to this virus, adding that the disease has mostly affected the women.

Orders for HIV screening of every resident of the Bucha Kalan have been issued and the village has been declared highly sensitive.

He said that people are feared enough that they are considering to migrate to keep them and their children save from the disease.

Last year, a new national survey found that 132,000 people in Pakistan suffer from HIV. The survey was conducted using a grant from the Global Fund, and took 10 months to complete.