Antiretroviral therapy centre to come up at private medical college hospital in Coimbatore

In a major boost to the efforts in combating Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) in Coimbatore district, the work of setting up the first antiretroviral therapy (ART) centre at a private medical college hospital in Coimbatore is in progress.

Officials with the District AIDS Prevention and Control Unit (DAPCU) said that the first ATR centre in a private medical college will come up at KMCH Institute of Health Sciences and Research.

ART centres provide care, support and treatment to persons living with HIV/AIDS.

DAPCU Programme Manager D. Gopalakrishnan said that the district, at present, has two ATR centres that function at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital and the District Headquarters Hospital in Pollachi.

There are six link-ART centres at the government hospitals at Karamadai, S.S. Kulam, Pooluvapatti, Somanur, Valparai and the Coimbatore Central Prison.

The district also has 24 integrated counselling and testing centres (ICTC), which offers free HIV testing and counselling services.

Mr. Gopalakrishnan said that HIV/AIDS test is routinely done for people in the priority category, namely pregnant women, tuberculosis patients, persons suffering from sexually transmitted infections, and people who are involved in high-risk behaviours that increase the chance of getting infected.

According to him, the targeted intervention programmes are currently being executed in the district through non-governmental organisations (NGO)on three high-risk groups - men who have sex with men, female sex workers and migrant workers. The NGOs are also provided with test kits. However, the confirmatory test is done at ICTCs.

Mr. Gopalakrishnan added that people who are in the high-risk category, though tested negative for HIV/AIDS, are being screened under the Sampoorna Suraksha Kendra (SSK) programme. It aims to cover ‘at-risk’ HIV negative populations through follow-up tests at frequent intervals. 

 

 

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