Participating in the 111th centenary celebrations of the CSI Rainy Hospital in the city and the AIDS Awareness Campaign conducted by the hospital, he said while tests for HIV virus among persons with Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) showed that only 4.48 per cent were found to be HIV positive, in September 1998, 15.8 per cent tested positive for HIV among the STD cases. Similarly, while 2.5 per cent of the tuberculosis cases tested in April 1995 tested HIV positive, in March 1998, 7.8 per cent of the TB cases were found to have AIDS.

Pointing out that with the conclusion of the five-year AIDS control programme, the next five-year programme would commence in July, he appealed to the Rainy Hospital authorities to persuade other hospitals not to reject AIDS patients. He added the Government was prepared to renderfinancial help towards the effort.

Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Dalit Ezhilmalai said the Centre was taking steps towards AIDS control and added directions had been issued to Government hospitals to admit AIDS patients. YRG Care director Dr Sunithi Solomon said while the first AIDS case in India was announced on April 18, 1986, today, two to three new AIDS cases were coming to the Centre daily, and added, ostracism is a major problem faced by the patients.