LARKANA: The judicial magistrate and civil judge of Ratodero on Friday remanded the doctor, who was accused of spreading HIV virus in unsuspecting population in the town through multiple use of disposable syringes, in police custody for three more days after expiry of his earlier remand for the same period.

The provincial government appeared to have laid the blame for the spread of the deadly disease at the door of the doctor, who was himself HIV positive, but his colleagues in Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) believed he was innocent and demanded his immediate release.

Members of the Larkana chapter of the PMA who met at Chandka Medical CollegeHospital (CMCH) wore black armbands to express their resentment at the doctor`s arrest and staged protest inside the hospital.

PMA central president Dr Ikram Tunio, Larkana chapter head Dr Syed Mehboob Shah and others demanded immediate release of the doctor and called for providing treatment to all the patients suffering from the deadly disease.

They said that if the doctor himself was diagnosed with HIV he should also be provided treatment. The PMA assured heirs and relatives of the HIV patients of full cooperation and asked the government to overcome shortage of kits needed for diagnosing HIV cases.

They demanded managers of CMCH ensure availability of kits to carry out the necessary tests.

Meanwhile, the team from Dr Ruth PfauCivil Hospital Karachi which was scheduled to recheck suspected HIV cases arrived at HIV/AIDS treatment centre at the CMCH and Ratodero taluka hospital where they re-examined the patients and carried out tests.

Prof Dr Iqbal Soomro and Dr Hollaram rechecked 15 suspected cases, 14 children and one adult, referred from Ratodero and found them HIV positive, said sources at the centre.

On Friday, 410 persons were screened at Ratodero taluka hospital and of them 20 children were found to have HIV while another team carried out tests on 200 persons at a camp set up in Bhai Khan Ghanghro village where two cases, one child and a 20-year-old girl, tested positive for HIV, said the sources.

The team would continue their tests in Larkana and Ratodero on Saturday.