Noida to get two ART centres for AIDS patients by next month

Currently, the district does not have a single ART centre and patients have to go to Ghaziabad or Meerut every month to collect their ART kits

By next month, Gautam Budh Nagar will have two Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) centres for treatment of patients of human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS).

One of the two centres are to be set up at the Government Institute of Medical Sciences in Greater Noida. (HT Archive)

ART is a lifelong therapy given to patients suffering from HIV/AIDS.

The two centres are to be set up at the district hospital in Noida’s Sector 30 and the Government Institute of Medical Sciences in Greater Noida. Currently, the district does not have a single ART centre and patients have to go to Ghaziabad or Meerut every month to collect their ART kits.

“The process for hiring of the medical staff is underway and the ART centre will be ready by next month,” said Dr Sushma Chandra, chief medical superintendent of the district hospital.

The hospital already has an Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre (ICTC) for HIV patients. Currently, there are three ICTCs under the district health department -- one each at district Hospital, community health centre (CHC) Dadri and CHC Bhangel . Apart from this, testing facilities are also available at all CHCs and PHCs in the district.

Dr Rakesh Gupta, director of GIMS said, “A proposal was placed in the meeting of the governing body last week and after getting the approval, space has been earmarked in the hospital for the ART centre. The hospital already has an ICTC that is functional since March this year,” said Dr Gupta.

Since April this year, GIMS has tested 282 patients for HIV, of which two have been found positive.

Dr Sunil Kumar Sharma, chief medical officer, Gautam Budh Nagar, said, “Setting up of ART Centres in the district is priority for the district health department and officials have been asked to expedite the process and start the centres as soon as possible.”

Dr Shirish Jain, district tuberculosis officer, said, “This year till July, 16,481 people have been tested for HIV/AIDS, of which 68 have been found positive. Since 2015, a total of 197,164 people have been tested for HIV/AIDS in the district, of which 868 have been found positive.”