AIDS centre to open next month at Noida hospital

Noida: Patients with AIDS will no longer have to travel to Meerut Medical College for treatment. The district hospital in Sector 30 is all set to start an anti-retroviral therapy (ART) AIDS treatment centre from next month.

Currently, 50-60 patients in GB Nagar get medicine and consultation at the hospital or through camps in rural areas. For advanced treatment, patients are referred to Meerut. The centre that is being set up by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) under National Health Mission (NHM) will be spread across 1,000 sqm and have facilities like counselling.

“The NHM wants to set up the centre for which we have given permission. We will provide a space and the facility will provide treatment and counselling,” said Dr VB Dhaka, the chief medical superintendent (CMS), district hospital.

According to Dr Hirdaya Lavanya from the pathology laboratory of the district hospital, a dedicated team will be deployed at the AIDS centre, including a doctor, a technician, a pharmacist and a counsellor. “Once the centre is set up, a patient’s CD4 count (number of CD4 cells in a drop of blood) and viral load (virus level in a drop of blood) can be assessed for proper diagnosis and treatment,” said Dr Lavanya.

According to officials from the health department 125 people had HIV in December, 2019. While 671 patients were under treatment, around 19,946 were counselled and 19,910 screenings had been conducted last year.

Currently, the district has three integrated counselling and testing centres for free treatment. The centres are at Dadri, Bhangel and the district hospital. Apart from this, testing facilities are available at all community health centres and primary health centres.