What makes the decision even more perplexing is that the clinic, which was opened in 1986 and has been seeing 60 out-patients a day, has been credited with path-breaking research apart from being a referral centre for AIDS patients from Mumbai and other parts of the state. In fact, the clinic was the largest referral centre in Mumbai, with patients being referred to it from both private and public hospitals. The only other two government-run AIDS Clinics are at Sion Hospital and JJ Hospital.

The controversial letter, addressedto Dr D G Saple, who heads the AIDS Clinic and is associate professor of skin and veneral diseases at GT Hospital, simply states that the hospital ``cannot have an AIDS Clinic''. It adds that in future, AIDS patients should be directly referred to various doctors at GT Hospital.

Confirming the receipt of the letter, Dr Saple told Express Newsline that he would like to first discuss the matter with the dean before commenting. He, however, claims the number of patients at the clinic had declined ever since a few staff members had been transferred three months ago. The 30-bed clinic employed eight doctors, eight counsellors apart from paramedical staff. Apart from out-patients, several persons were admitted for indoor management. Also, the clinic functioned seven days a week.

Besides, the clinic, which had major foreign collaborations, is credited with the discovery of the HIV-2 virus in 1994, when only the existence of the HIV-1 virus was known. This led to the use of kits that could detect thepresence of both viruses. It also meant that blood could be screened for both viruses before its use in transfusion. The clinic had also discovered that Indian AIDS patients had the sub-type C virus and not B as in Western countries, which significantly changed the course of treatment including the nature of vaccines.

Dr Chetan Oberoi, professor and head of department of skin and veneral diseases at the parent JJ Hospital, says AIDS Clinics should not exist and patients should receive treatment for the specific diseases that arise out of AIDS. Moreover, he claims, JJ Hospital had not even taken the requisite permission to open an AIDS clinic.

Dr V L Deshpande, director, Medical Education and Research, Government of Maharashtra, agrees. He says such clinics encourage monopolistic trends. He claims he is not aware of Mohanty's letter.

Advocating AIDS Clinics, however, is Dr M E Yeolekar, professor and head of the Department of Medicine, Sion Hospital, who says patients required specialised treatment fromdoctors familiar with the disease.

Of the 14 million HIV persons in India, around 2 lakh reside in Mumbai.