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Public Health Minister Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn has ordered an investigation into allegations that cannabis oil "has healed" an HIV-positive patient who has been bedridden and has been infected with the virus for more than 20 years.
Piyasakol said yesterday that no scientific study indicates that marijuana can be used to cure HIV, the virus that causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
His remarks came after a media report that an HIV-positive patient in Phetchabun province showed signs of improvement after consuming cannabis oil for three weeks. The patient could talk and move more freely, he added, adding that she no longer needed to rely on others for her daily routine.
The minister said that he had instructed his office of the permanent secretary and Phetchabun public health officer to find facts about it.
"We are not trying to find a fault, we just want to know if it's true, if that's the case, there might be an advantage," said Piyasakol, adding that cannabis had been found to help relieve the pain caused by certain diseases. no scientific evidence proves that it can cure HIV.
In Thailand, he said, all HIV-positive patients have access to antiretrovirals, regardless of the number of healthy cells in their immune system. As a result, the number of deaths caused by HIV / AIDS is "very low" in the country, he added. In addition, he added, citizen groups and NGOs working on HIV / AIDS actively monitor patients.
A senior Thai Red Cross official also said yesterday that, until now, there is no indication that cannabis can cure HIV.
Dr. Praphan Phanuphak, director of the Thai Red Cross's AIDS Research Center, said he suspected that cannabis oil would have made the Phetchabun patient feel better. "But I can confirm that there is nothing better than antiretroviral drugs to treat HIV," Praphan said. He also warned HIV-positive patients against dropping antiretroviral drugs for the benefit of herbal alternatives such as cannabis.
"You can put yourself at risk and the herbs can be used as supplements, but not as a primary method of treatment," he warned.
Apiwat Kwangkaew, head of the HIV / AIDS patient network in Thailand, said yesterday that marijuana was not a panacea, adding that cannabis oil could have improved the HIV patient's symptoms in non-medical areas. directly related to the virus. .
He suggested that HIV patients should not drop antiretroviral drugs for alternative treatments that have not yet been proven. "You can risk drug resistance, which could lead to difficulties in treating your condition, things like that have already happened," he added.
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