RAJSHAHI:  The HIV/AIDS laboratory has been opened in Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) on Thursday for the first time in order to provide necessary healthcare services to the people vulnerable to the virus and its infection, reports BSS. From now on, the lab will contribute a lot towards extending necessary services like test, consultation and treatment to the target group in the region. To mark the occasion, RMCH organised an advocacy and discussion meeting on the issue of HIV/AIDS in its conference hall. Lawmaker Fazley Hossain Badsha, chairman of RMCH Management Board, addressed the discussion as chief guest with Director Brig Gen Nasir Uddin in the chair. During their keynote presentations, medical consultants from National AIDS Management Centre, Dr Mustaque Parvez and Dr Moin Uddin, narrated the risk factors of HIV/AIDS and its treatment. They mentioned that the main challenge to prevent the HIV/AIDS is now being adjudged as the stigma and negative attitude towards the vulnerable population like transgender, MSM, injecting drug users, sex workers and professional blood donors. They, however, emphasized the need for protecting the infected persons from their human rights violations as they are also the integral part of the society. The experts unequivocally called for more public awareness about the existing risks of HIV/AIDS to prevent its havoc stressing the need for collective efforts of all quarters.