Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

'AIDS victim died due to terminal illness'

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI July 18. The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) under the Union Health Ministry today refuted reports that a 32-year-old woman suffering from AIDS in Andhra Pradesh had been stoned to death and said that the NGO which had made the allegation had done so without verifying the facts.

Speaking to reporters, members of a three-member committee sent by NACO to probe the incident said all evidences indicated that the woman had died due to terminal illness arising out of the advanced stage of AIDS.

They said detailed enquiries with family members, neighbours and other members of the community in the small town clearly showed that only her close relatives were aware that she was suffering from AIDS and there was no question of her being a victim of social stigma.

Meenakshi Dutta Ghosh, Project Director of NACO, said a major lesson learnt from the incident was that there was a need to focus more on enlarging the facilities for providing palliative care in collaboration with the private sector and the community for AIDS victims who were at terminal stages of illness and for whom no treatment was possible.

The Centre has already taken steps in this regard and has so far established about 160 community care centres in different parts of the country.

But, as this case proved, the numbers were hardly adequate to meet the burgeoning need.

The victim had to spend her last days in her house in great pain, as the nearest care centre was about 100 km away.

Ms. Ghosh also emphasised the need for NGOs to be circumspect while dealing with AIDS cases.

He said that considering the social stigma attached to the disease, all endeavour must be taken to avoid sensationalism.

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