JAMMU, July 1: The Government Medical College and Hospital Jammu is all set to introduce the first ever HIV viral load testing facility from mid of July within the hospital premises.
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Official sources said that the HIV viral load testing facility is being introduced this month at Jammu GMC, adding, “the facility previously was not available anywhere at the Government level in Jammu and Kashmir and the samples were being sent to the PGI Chandigarh and the reports were being received in around one-month period.”
“But, with the launch of the facility at Jammu GMC, the report will be made available to the patients in four to five days, which will help in their treatment,” they said and added that it will also benefit the people from the neighbouring states.
“Any HIV infected patient needs a viral load test during treatment, in which further treatment is given to him after reviewing the level of his virus capacity,” they said and added that during the review, it is being monitored how much effect the medicine being given to a patient in ART (Anti-Retroviral Center) for reducing the virus.”
“HIV viral load testing facility is expected to begin by mid of July at Jammu GMC,” Dr Sandeep Dogra, Department of microbiology said.
He stated that the viral load tests will be done in the state-of-the-art Cobas-RT-PCR machine installed in the microbiology lab and very soon trained batches will be engaged for testing in this machine.
“Around 2500 HIV infected patients are registered in various medical centers across the Jammu region and out of these, many are getting the treatment at the existing ART centers,” he said adding that the how they are responding to the treatment can be ascertained only after the testing is done.
However, the medical team has been given a three-day special training by experts from Delhi and the kit for HIV viral load testing has been provided by Jammu and Kashmir AIDS Control Society, said an official.
Notably, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Jammu and Kashmir AIDS Control Society (JKACS) and Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu for starting free of cost HIV viral load testing in the premier hospital of the People Living with HIV (PLHIV).
The agreement provided for utilization of the spare testing capacity of COBAS RT-PCR equipment for the quantitative HIV 1 Viral Load Testing in the Department of Microbiology, GMC Jammu.
“At present, the samples of PLHIVs are being sent to Chandigarh for viral load testing. This in-house testing at GMC, Jammu will reduce turnaround time in the reporting of the final result which will help the clinicians to provide timely treatment to the PLHIVs,” official said. (Agencies)
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