Yesterday, this journalist learned from the Liaoning province office of Labor and Social Security that Liaoning province medical insurance center has already issued a notice clarifying that six AIDS anti-viral medicines [note: ARVs] would be included in the medical insurance plan from 1 August.

These medicines are: Zidovudine [note: AZT] gel capsule and pill; Stavudine [note: d4T] gel capsule; didanosine [note: ddI] powder, pill, chewable pill and granular form; lamivudine [note: 3TC] pill; Nevirapine [note: NVP] pill, gel capsule; indinavir [note: IDV] pill, gel capsule. From 1 August, Lianing province basic medical health insurance participants who are infected with the HIV virus will be able to receive the above six medicines at designated medical institutions, with the costs covered by the basic health insurance scheme.