Intravenous drug abuse main cause
03 June, 2026 – Bathinda : Bathinda district reported 10,100 cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) between 2019 and April 2026, according to figures provided by the health authorities in response to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The number of HIV-positive patients in the district stood at 1,130 in 2019, 1,003 in 2020, 1,079 in 2021, 1,775 in 2022, 1,820 in 2023, 1,460 in 2024, 1,358 in 2025, and 475 cases up to April 2026.
Sonu Maheshwari, a social rights activist, who procured the information, said his NGO, Naujawan Welfare Society, had been working with drug-dependent individuals and facilitating their treatment at hospitals. “The number of HIV-positive persons is increasing because of intravenous drug consumption using common syringes and reuse of needles by multiple persons,” he said.
Maheshwari said drug addiction among the youth remained a serious concern in the district. “Hardly a day passes when there is no new video showing youths under the influence of drugs,” he said.
District Health Officer Dr Usha Goyal said the figures were compiled by the Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) Centre. She said the higher numbers were linked to enhanced screening.
“The screening was conducted of all those registered at the Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) Clinics in the district. Among those found infected at OOAT centres, over 60 per cent are intravenous drug abusers,” she said.
The Tribune