Kerala: 2 HIV infected children to be discharged to celebrate Onam

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29 August 2009, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Two HIV-infected children who are under

treatment at Sree Avittom Thirunal hospital here will be discharged for a few

days to enable them celebrate Onam with their grandmother at their home in

Kollam, Kerala State AIDS Control Society (KSACS) sources said.

The KSACS is taking up the treatment of 14-year-old Bency and her younger

brother Benson, whose parents died due to AIDS a few years back.

Bency was admitted to the paediatric department at SAT hospital on August 3 with

serious complications on account and is since being given second-line

Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) treatment. Benson is undergoing first-line ART

treatment.

Hospital authorities agreed to the request on humanitarian grounds and the best

available treatment would continue to be given to the children, Lalitha Kailas,

head of the paediatric department of SAT hospital, said.

" Bency is now in a position to take liquid foods by herself though the disease

has already affected her brain, " she said.

KSCAS sources said there are 634 HIV-infected children among the estimated

10,491 patients in the state. Of them, 209 children are undergoing ART

treatment.

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