DERA GHAZI KHAN: The Health Department has initiated HIV/AIDS screening for children and adults at the Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital in Taunsa Sharif.

A screening and treatment center has also been set up at the THQ to facilitate early detection and treatment of the disease, says DG Khan Commissioner Ashfaq Ahmed Chaudhry.

Officials said teams from the Punjab Healthcare Commission have also reached Taunsa to oversee operation against quacks. According to medical experts, the primary cause of HIV/AIDS transmission is the reuse of syringes.

The commissioner appealed to the public to report unauthorised clinics and individuals who reuse syringes, so that strict action could be taken against them to protect lives.

Meanwhile, District Coordinator Dr Sumaira Ashraf stated that, under the directives of Punjab Health and Population Secretary Nadia Saqib, 111 individuals have so far been screened at the screening camp set up at the Taunsa hospital. She added that a treatment center has also been established within the hospital.

Dr Sumaira said Nadia Saqib is personally monitoring the screening camp and other related activities in Taunsa to ensure the effectiveness of the initiative.

Following public concerns about the spread of HIV-AIDS in Taunsa, health secretary Nadia Saqib visited Taunsa where she told media that 106 children hailing from the area had been registered with the AIDS Control Programme.

She had ordered the suspension of the District Health Officer (DHO) of Dera Ghazi Khan, the Deputy District Health Officer (DDHO) of Taunsa Sharif, and the Medical Superintendent (MS) of THQ for their negligence in running the programme.

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2025