Allahabad old age couple provides shelter to discarded AIDS patients

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Allahabad old age couple provides shelter to discarded AIDS patients

ANI, Jan 1, 2011, 09.

ALLAHABAD: In a remarkable gesture towards humanity, an old age couple in Uttar

Pradesh's Allahabad city are providing shelter to AIDS (Acquired Immune

Deficiency Syndrome) patients, who have been discarded by their family members.

Kamar Jyaz Zaidi, the owner of shelter, said that they did not get any help or

charity from anywhere for running shelter home.

" Mostly, the HIV AIDS patients, who arrive here are widows with one to two

children with them. From ART (anti-retroviral therapy) centre, we come to know

that children too are HIV positive. They stay here and their mothers too, we

arrange food and water for them. We did not get any charity, help or donation

from anywhere, " said Zaidi.

Most of the children in this shelter, which is next to Allahabad University, are

those abandoned by their homes because of this disease.

Vijay Devi, a HIV positive patient, said that the villagers discarded her

children who are also HIV positive.

" My children got affected from HIV, so villagers did not allow them to stay

there. Here Daddy sahib (the old couple) gave them shelter. They give us food,

water, medicine. They also teach my children and up bring them, " she said.

AIDS is caused by human immunodeficiency virus, which transmits through HIV

positive patient's blood transfusion, unsafe sex, contaminated hypodermic

needles and from HIV positive mother to her baby.

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des-shelter-to-discarded-AIDS-patients/articleshow/7202061.cms