CHITWAN: A total of 52 new cases of HIV/AIDS have been recorded in Chitwan district over the past five months, according to the AHF Nepal center based at Bharatpur Hospital.
Of these, 23 individuals are local residents, while the remaining cases involve individuals who have transferred from other districts.
Dr. Kalyan Sapkota, a senior physician at Bharatpur Hospital, stated that the 52 new patients were registered at the hospital’s AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nepal between January and May.
The new diagnoses include those who voluntarily visited the hospital for testing as well as those identified through community-based screenings.
Currently, 1,188 individuals are regularly receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) through the center. According to hospital spokesperson Gopal Paudel, of these patients, 582 are male, 558 are female, 30 are children, and 18 identify as third-gender individuals.
Some patients who had been receiving treatment in Bharatpur have transferred to local hospitals, such as Bagauda Hospital in Madi and Madhyabindu Hospital in Danda. However, five of these transferred patients have returned to Bharatpur due to difficulties in accessing services at the local centers.
Alongside medication, the hospital provides additional support services to patients. This includes meals and refreshments for accompanying caregivers, ambulance services when needed, and food assistance for patients from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Dr. Sapkota noted that while AHF Nepal is functioning well, other similar foundations are facing issues due to a shortage of viral load testing kits. Viral load testing is critical in monitoring the progression of HIV in patients and ensuring the effectiveness of treatment.
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