Local and Foreign News About HIV/AIDS

"Continue free treatment"

The Star (www.thestar.com.my) (15/01/07)

Ex-prisoners with HIV/AIDS too poor to pay for health care

A NON-GOVERNMENTAL organisation (NGO) has urged the Government to allow prisoners afflicted with HIV/AIDS to continue their treatment after they have served their jail term.

Pengasih Malaysia president Mohd Yunus Fathi said free treatment given to infected prisoners stopped after they were freed and most were too poor to seek treatment at hospitals.

“There is a need to amend the legislation. Free treatment should also be extended to former inmates of drug rehabilitation centres.

“Continuous treatment is needed as the sufferers must be motivated to continue living,” he said after opening the World AIDS Day programme in Pengkalan Chepa in Kota Baru recently.

Pengasih is an NGO which co-ordinates the distribution of medicine to HIV/AIDS-infected prisoners.

It also provides spiritual guidance and counselling and it now has nine service centres nationwide.

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