Panaji, April 20 (IANS) A study conducted by NGOs in the state has found almost 60 percent of HIV-infected patients also have liver related complications.

The study, by World Vision India partnering with Zindagi-Goa and Help India Charitable Trust, was conducted through a health camp on a sample size of 75 infected patients from different parts of the state.

These patients are under constant antiretroviral therapy (ART) at Dr. Tosha's Medical Lab in Caranzalem.

The main liver-related complications, which are known side effects of patients under ART, are high levels of bilirubin, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) and serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), a doctor said.

Nirmala Christopher, an HIV specialist, warned that the complications were life threatening in one out of every 50 ART patients.

"One out of 50 may seem a small number but it is not so. If one takes into account all the HIV patients in Goa, you will realise the magnitude of the problem," she said.

Of the 75 patients, including women and children, who attended the medical camp, 42 had excess SGPT levels, 44 had excess SGOT levels in their blood, while 10 had excess levels of bilirubin.

Nirmala stressed the need for support systems and regular check-ups for patients undergoing ART.

She said the main problem is the lack of awareness about treatment.

Almost all HIV infected patients require to undergo antiretroviral therapy.

The standard therapy consists of the use of at least three antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to maximally suppress the HIV virus and stop the progression of the disease.

"For the first three months patients need to be regularly checked up for side effects as a result the treatment regimen. If there are no symptoms, check-ups must be done every six months," Nirmala said.

Goa has an estimated 16,000 HIV/AIDS patients, of whom 13,329 are confirmed cases.

Yet none of the state-run hospitals has palliative care centre.

"At least one or two beds within GMC (Goa Medical College) should be devoted to palliative care," Dr Nirmala advised.

In cases where the first line of ART does not work, a second line is necessary, but for this no medicines are available in Goa and these have to be bought from Mumbai, 600 km away.