Everyone concerned about Hawai'i's HIV/AIDS patients can draw sighs of relief at the news about a funding reprieve for the Hawai'i AIDS Clinical Trials Unit, which conducts research and provides care.

The National Institutes of Health carved out $640,000 in "bridge" funds that will help keep the unit operating for several months, and that is something to celebrate. Otherwise, the unit would have had to close by year's end.

The money buys time that the Legislature needs to explore funding options — including whether politicians could shake loose some bailout dollars from the state's own budget.

While it's important to have a fallback plan in place, the lobbying efforts should focus on persuading federal officials to reconsider the entire plan to cut Hawai'i funding.

To be sure, Hawai'i's AIDS unit serves a relatively small caseload. The most recent complete count of a year ago tallies more than 1,300 AIDS cases.

However, that population comprises a third of the Asian and Pacific Islander patients enrolled in the drug trials nationally. That cohort is needed for the integrity of the research sample.

Very few can afford to participate, because the travel costs would be prohibitive if the Isle center is closed.

It's wrong to effectively exclude the patients from an entire state from this research. Our state leaders must make this case to federal officials.