"They have no data on HIV-infected children. Even their website is silent on the number of paediatric HIV+ patients even though it declares the number of infected men, women and youth in the state. We had filed an RTI in August seeking information on the district-wise distribution of HIV positive children. After staying mum for months, they sent us a break-up of the number of patients across the districts on December 3. It said 684 was the total number. Kolkata, if they are to be believed, has just 50 HIV-infected children," said Bappaditya Mukherjee, secretary of Prantakatha.
The WBSAPCS, however, claimed the data was authentic. "We have collected the figures after a thorough interaction with local networks and scanning their information base. A large percentage of the HIV-infected children in Kolkata actually hail from the districts and they have been included in our list. But it's true that there's no government home for HIV children," said Swarnadipa Biswas, deputy director of WBSAPCS.
The WBSAPCS, however, claimed the data was authentic. "We have collected the figures after a thorough interaction with local networks and scanning their information base. A large percentage of the HIV-infected children in Kolkata actually hail from the districts and they have been included in our list. But it's true that there's no government home for HIV children," said Swarnadipa Biswas, deputy director of WBSAPCS.
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