LARKANA, July 1: The number of AIDS patients in the Larkana district has risen to

38 as four new cases of the diseases have been confirmed by the Sindh AIDS control programme.

The medical superintendent of the Chandka Medical College Hospital told this correspondent here on Tuesday that the hospital, in collaboration with the AIDS control programme and the district government, recently conducted blood screening of 176 drug addicts, out of whom 17 were confirmed to be HIV positive.

He said four patients were admitted to the CMCH and 12 patients were in the central prison.

Sources said six cases of AIDS had been shifted to rehabilitation centres in Lahore and Islamabad and preparations were being made to shift rest of the cases.

A team, comprising Dr Farakh of the USAID and Dr Simon Azariah of the Futures Group, arrived here on Tuesday and held detailed meetings with the district government officials and the MS of the CMCH to establish a permanent rehabilitation center in Larkana.

Meanwhile, the EDO, health, Dr Abdul Wahab Wadho, banned the reuse of syringes in the district.

The EDO, in a letter, asked the president, Pakistan Medical Association, Larkana, to direct the PMA members not to reuse syringes as it could transmit HIV.