Nerul civic hospital may soon house Navi Mumbai’s second ART centre

Navi Mumbai: The city may get its second Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART) centre soon. Civic officials said Maharashtra State Aids Control Society is contemplating setting up a centre in the newly built Nerul hospital.

Currently, the ART centre in Vashi caters to about 3,800 patients annually. Often, sources said, the centre is overwhelmed.

“The patient flow to the centre is huge, which is putting pressure on staff and the machinery. On an average, a centre can tend to 2,500 patients. There is a need for a second centre,” said Dr Deepak Paropkari, chief medical officer, NMMC.

ART is the first line of treatment made available by the government to HIV positive patients. Following routine check-ups and counselling, patients are provided medications that last a month. Other ART centres are in Alibaug and Lodhivali.

“Due to social stigma, patients from Panvel and Raigad come to Vashi for treatment,” said Kishore Tarawade, project manager, Udaan, an NGO that works with AIDS patients.