<p>In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Health Dinesh Trivedi said that the government is already providing free first line treatment to HIV patients since April 2004.<br />"At present, a total of 335,232 patients are receiving free ART (antiretroviral therapy) at 281 centres as on June 2010," he said.<br /><br />While 312,451 adults are getting this therapy, about 20,302 children are on ART, he added.<br />About 78,592 people - 73,394 adults and 5,198 children - are receiving the free drug in Maharashtra - the highest number in the country.<br /><br />It is followed by Andhra Pradesh where 71, 769 people - 67,976 adults and 3,793 children - are getting the treatment. The others are Karnataka (44,017), Tamil Nadu (44,493), Uttar Pradesh (12,163), Delhi (7,875), Rajasthan (7,464), Manipur (5,754) and Orissa (2,503).</p>
<p>In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Health Dinesh Trivedi said that the government is already providing free first line treatment to HIV patients since April 2004.<br />"At present, a total of 335,232 patients are receiving free ART (antiretroviral therapy) at 281 centres as on June 2010," he said.<br /><br />While 312,451 adults are getting this therapy, about 20,302 children are on ART, he added.<br />About 78,592 people - 73,394 adults and 5,198 children - are receiving the free drug in Maharashtra - the highest number in the country.<br /><br />It is followed by Andhra Pradesh where 71, 769 people - 67,976 adults and 3,793 children - are getting the treatment. The others are Karnataka (44,017), Tamil Nadu (44,493), Uttar Pradesh (12,163), Delhi (7,875), Rajasthan (7,464), Manipur (5,754) and Orissa (2,503).</p>