People who are HIV positive or have AIDS patiently wait for donations to help them obtain medicines. They have become a demographic that we can no longer ignore. Some of these patients are victims, like little Sara who was featured prominently in the press recently.
Some are born with HIV. They did not get the virus through illegitimate relationships; they inherited the virus from women who contracted it from their infected husbands. Others were given the virus through dirty blood transfusions or other medical mistakes.
Society to Aid AIDS Patients Chairman Dr. Sanaa Filimban told me her group is in charge of 150 poor Saudi families in Makkah province who have at least one HIV positive family member. She said the society is unable to provide assistance to 45 poor Saudi families because there are not enough donors willing to support this cause.
The sufferings of these families are on the rise because patients with AIDS are unable to get jobs, which would help them buy medicines that could cost as much as SR10,000 a month.
Job discrimination against people with HIV is common.
Our health security is jeopardized when we are unable to provide medical, social and psychological treatment for people with HIV.
These people are in dire need of financial help. This can be done just by becoming a member of the society for an annual fee of SR300. This is a small amount of money for the good it can do. The society can be contacted at 02-658-1666.
