Rohingyas are increasingly getting infected with HIV

Dhaka: Sixty-three of the Rohingya people who have taken shelter in Bangladesh are HIV-infected patients, Health Minister Mohammed Nasim told Parliament on Wednesday.

Now there are 4,662 HIV-infected patients in our country. Of them, 63 are from the Rohingya community," he said replying to a tabled starred question from treasury bench MP Shamsul Hoque Chowdhury (Chattogram-12). 

As of October 2017, 5,586 patients were detected with HIV positive and 924 of them have already died, the minister said. The minister said the government has a plan to set up HIV Test Centres (HTC) in 23 prioratised districts,

provide necessary basic trainings over HIV/AIDS and provide camp-based healthcare facilities.

Nasim said the government is now providing services to HIV-infected patients free of cost. The services include HIV test, free medicines and counseling. Besides, different non-government organizations, national and agencies provide services to HIV patients, he said.(UNI)