PESHAWAR, May 31: Speakers at the concluding day of a two-day consultative workshop urged the government to ensure the treatment of HIV/AIDS at the public hospitals.

"There is no treatment facilities for the patients suffering from the HIV/AIDS at the public hospitals, which is multiplying their woes," said MPA Rifaat Akbar Swati, while speaking as chief guest at the conclusion of the workshop organized by Award, a local NGO, on Monday.

She said the number of HIV/AIDS patients had swelled over the past several years, because people working in Middle East were the main source of the ailment. In the wake of rising number of patients, it was obligatory upon the government to put in place facilities for the treatment of the patients at the state-run hospitals.

She was of the view that it was the responsibility of the government to provide medical facilities to the patients of HIV/AIDS. She demanded provision of free medicines for those patients.

Most of the health workers had developed an element of disdain and hatred against the HIV/AIDS patients, she said and added that the doctors and health workers should change their attitude.

Other speakers also expressed concern over the non- availability of clean drinking water and environmental pollution, which they said were causing diseases like hepatitis and heart- related abnormalities.

They lamented the inadequate number of woman health workers in the government-owned hospitals, saying that it adversely affected the women population of the province, specially in rural areas.

The speakers urged the government to implement the laws concerning environment and make efforts to raise the awareness level of the people regarding pollution.

They underlined the need for more strenuous efforts on the part of the civil society organization to spread much-needed awareness about the political role of the women in the society. About the proposed implementation of Shariat laws in the NWFP, they demanded of the provincial government to hold referendum so people could decided about the move.