PESHAWAR:Directorate General (DG) Health Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has directed conducting screening of patients for HIV/AIDS prior to any surgical procedure.
According to DG Health, Dr. Shoukat Ali, all District Health Officers and Medical Superintendents of hospitals have been directed to ensure HIV/AIDS screening of patients that are undergoing surgeries. The decision has been taken in the public interest and to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.
He said that screening would help medical staff to take precautionary measures before any surgery and to prevent contamination of instruments being used in surgical procedures besides arranging separate operation theatres and surgical instruments for HIV/AIDS affected patients whose number has reached 6300 in KP.