The Haryana health department has approved the establishment of an HIV viral load testing laboratory at Civil Hospital, Panchkula. With this, Haryana will have its second such facility, the first being located in Rohtak. An HIV viral load testing lab measures the amount of actively replicating HIV-1 RNA (genetic material) in a patient’s plasma using molecular techniques like PCR.
Additional chief secretary (ACS), health, Sumita Misra said the laboratory has been approved at an annual cost of ₹1.65 crore, based on an estimated workload of approximately 15,000 HIV viral load tests per year.
The ACS said that the new laboratory will be set up by utilising the existing Covid-19 molecular testing infrastructure already in place at the civil hospital, along with the procurement of additional equipment specific to HIV viral load testing. This approach ensures that the facility can be made operational quickly, without the need for constructing an entirely new setup.
The project was developed on the basis of inputs provided by the Haryana State AIDS Control Society (HSACS), while the technical evaluation was independently conducted by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) — the apex body governing HIV/AIDS response in the country. The cost per HIV viral load test has been set at ₹1,100, in line with national guidelines. Misra said the entire expenditure will be funded by the NACO, with no financial liability falling on the Haryana government.