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Saturday, November 20, 2004
Negrense dies of AIDS; 10 others positive
By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan
A MAN whose identity was withheld died of severe complications due to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in one of the hospitals in Bacolod City two weeks ago, reports from the Provincial Health Office (PHO) disclosed Friday.
Although acting provincial health officer Dr. Luisa Efren requested mediamen not to specify the gender and age of the victim, reports had it that the patient succumbed to respiratory failure.
The male victim is of legal age.
Efren appealed to the media not to dig deeper on the issue or to venture to locate the family of the victim because do not want to sensationalize the matter.
"We need to respect the appeal of the family, so they may not suffer social stigma due to the incident," Efren stressed.
She added: "The news is confirmed. The victim was positive of AIDS. But my office couldn't give more details to the media."
On the other hand, Efren disclosed that aside from the fatality, about 10 other Negrenses are now confirmed to be positive carriers of Human Immuno Virus or HIV.
These Negrenses are now in their respective towns and cities, and are currently undergoing counseling program being conducted by PHO-trained personnel and coordinators.
They were also given medicines but only for the possible complications caused by HIV such as pneumonia, dehydration and tuberculosis.
Efren said medicines are for free, based on the recommendation of their field coordinators who have close contact and monitoring to these HIV positive victims.
"What we are doing for these HIV positive people are giving them support measures for them to cope with the 'saddest reality' they have now in life," added the health officer.
Efren said most of these HIV positive patients were tested in Manila.
They are now considered referral patients of the PHO undergoing conformity test and follow-ups of their medical needs.
She, however, clarified the province has no specific medicine for AIDS or HIV.
Efren encouraged all cities in the province to emulate the cities of Victorias, Sagay and Kabankalan in establishing their own HIV-AIDS Council Team (HACT) to encourage people inflicted by the dreaded virus in their respective locality to come out in the open so that they can be assisted properly by the government.
Formulation of HACT in every locality would be a welcome development in the province's drive to campaign better against HIV and AIDS, said Efren.
(November 20, 2004 issue)
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