An anti-retroviral drug due to expire within a week is being distributed to the HIV infected people in Sindhupalchok,  an organisation working for the HIV survivors in the district has said.

Kipak Tamang, chairman of Mirmire Group, said the District Health Office (DHO) has been distributing Nevirapine capsules which has the expiration date of September 2016.

He said the capsules provided by the DHO were for a month.

The HIV survivors in Sindhupalchok have been taking Nevirapine, Lamivudine and Zidovudine as part of ARV treatment.

Manish Silwal, of the DHO ARV Centre, claimed the HIV infected people have been advised to take Nevirapine capsules for only a week.

One HIV survivor, however, said that she did not get any notice when the centre handed her the medicine.

There are 191 HIV infected people in Sindhupalchok. Only 29 of them are taking ARV medicines regularly.