The Ministry of Health has informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Health that about 20,000 HIV patients are no longer in touch after starting treatment.
The meeting was informed that these patients were registered in Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) centers but later did not return for treatment and follow-up.
The Standing Committee Chairman Dr. Mahesh Kumar Malani expressed serious concern over the increasing cases of HIV and AIDS in the country and sought a detailed briefing from the Ministry of Health.
The Ministry of Health requested to give an in-camera briefing on the issue of HIV, however, the committee decided to continue the briefing in an open meeting.
The committee members stressed the need to prevent the spread of HIV, improve patient surveillance and increase public awareness.
According to experts, the increase in the number of patients who abandon treatment incompletely could pose a major challenge to public health.