25 hospitals to treat people with AIDS

KUTA, Bali: Following complaints about the expense of HIV/AIDS treatment, the government has designated 25 hospitals across the country, including Sanglah Hospital in Bali, as referral centers for the treatment of people with the virus.

With the designation of the hospitals, the government will provide them with subsidized antiretroviral drugs to fight the virus, thus allowing more people with HIV/AIDS to afford the treatment, said Minister of Health Achmad Sujudi on Saturday.

The program was important as the number of people with HIV/AIDS in the country had reached alarming levels. Currently, there are 1,520 people living with AIDS out of 2,766 people who have contracted HIV, according to government figures. -- Antara