Ludhiana: The city has witnessed an increase in the number of HIV positive people seeking medical help at the main govt ART (Anti Retroviral Therapy) centre of Ludhiana. Trends over the past few years suggest that most of the patients are injecting drug users (IDUs), whose number has been highest from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024.
As per the latest data, 1,966 new HIV infected patients registered at the civil hospital’s ART centre between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024. This marked a 1.5% increase from the number of patients (1,937) received in the previous financial year from April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023.

According to latest data of the last four financial years, the highest number of new HIV patients registered at the ART centre between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024. It was lowest between April 1, 2020, and March 3, 2021.
Rising number of IDU users
Data of HIV positive IDU users over the last four financial years suggests that percentage of new IDU users among new registered HIV positive patients from April 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021 was 45.3%, which increased to 71% from April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023. It reached 74.2% in the next financial year.
As compared to financial year from April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023, the percentage of IDU users among new registered HIV patients in the last financial year was 3.2% more.
Treatment at ART Centre
Senior medical officer (SMO), ART centre, civil hospital, Dr Shabnam Bansal said that IDU users constitute majority of the new registered HIV patients at the centre. She said that the patients are tested at 12 Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (ICTC) in the district. After they test positive for HIV, they are registered in the ART centre, where various tests are carried out.
Thereafter, HIV patients are given free anti-retroviral medicines, which are to be taken throughout life, the SMO said, adding that viral load of all patients is checked after six months and a year. This is done to ascertain whether the patient is stable, improving or deteriorating.
She said that the government is providing such patients with medicine for all associated medical problems and treatment of tuberculosis and hepatitis C is done at the ART centre.