Dhaka: Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim on Thursday told Parliament that 578 HIV-infected patients were detected afresh in Bangladesh from November 1, 2015 to October 31, 2016.

The HIV-infected patients were detected through 128 government and private testing centers, he said replying to a tabled question from Awami League MP M Abdul Latif (Chittagong-11).

Nasim noted his ministry has taken various measures through the National AIDs/STD Control Programme of Director General of Health Services to raise awareness against AIDs among the common people and the communities that are vulnerable to HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).

In September 2016, he told Parliament that 4,143 people were infected with HIV in the country.

In reply to another tabled question from AL MP Nurunnabi Chowdhury (Bhola-3), the minister said 18,675 posts remain vacant in the country's upazila hospitals.

Nasim said 42,236 people were recruited under the Health and Family Welfare Ministry from 2009 to 2016.

Responding to an unstarred question from Md Abdul Majid Khan (Habiganj-2), the minister said mobile courts filed 2,169 cases for production or sale of adulterated and fake drugs across the country in 2016.

Besides, some Tk 6.66 crore was realized as fine, while 58 accused were jailed on different terms, 37 organisations sealed off and drugs worth Tk 17 crore was seized, he said.

Apart from these cases, 41 were lodged with drug courts and 64 others with magistrate courts in 2016, he mentioned.

The minister said the Directorate General of Drug Administration and law enforcement agencies are sincere to check the production and sale of adulterated and fake drugs.