The government has taken initiatives to provide treatments and medicines free of cost to HIV positive patients at different hospitals, said Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim yesterday.

The hospitals are the Infectious Disease Hospital at Mohakhali, Dhaka; Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, Chittagong Medical College, Khulna Medical College and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College University in Dhaka.

He said, "The health sector achieved a lot of success, our hospitals are well-equipped with updated technologies but we do not have the specialised hospitals for AIDS-affected people yet."

Besides, there are seven more medical college hospitals across the country where people can have free HIV detection test, the minister added.