Biometric attendance to keep track of HIV+ patients in city

In a first, Mumbai District Aids Control Society (MDACS) is tracking patients diagnosed as positive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) using a biometric

In a first, Mumbai District Aids Control Society (MDACS) is tracking patients diagnosed as positive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) using a biometric attendance system to ensure they do not drop out of treatment.

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As HT has reported in the past, patients living with HIV can develop resistance to medicines under antiretroviral therapy (ART) if they follow the treatment irregularly. “We have often observed that patients don’t follow up with nodal ART centres and opt out of treatment. To stop patients from dropping out, we have started this process of tracking them through their unique finger prints,” said Dr Srikala Acharya, MDACS. When patients are registered, their fingerprint imprints are taken along with identity documents.

Treatment for HIV is a lifelong process and medicines are provided every month. MDACS has set up six link (secondary) ART centres under directives from National Aids Control Society (NACO). Link-ART centres are mainly responsible for supplying drugs, counselling, diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) and treatment of sexually-transmitted diseases. “Link-ART centres can’t initiate or provide treatment to patients. So, they have to be referred to nodal offices,” said Dr. Acharya.

Of the six link-ART centres, three are inside Arthur road jail, Byculla jail, Nagpada police hospital. Two others are administered by non-governmental organisations Humsafar (for LGBTQ patients) and Aditi (for HIV-positive female sex workers). One in Malvani is for transgender patients and run by the link-ART centre of KEM Hospital.

Currently, 105 patients are on ART at Malvani, which is linked to the nodal ART centre at Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital. Thirty-four patients are registered with Humsafar, which is linked to the nodal ART centre in Sion Hospital. Another 20 patients are with Aditi, which is connected with MT Agarwal Hospital. The biometric attendance system is being implemented on a pilot basis at these three centres. On a monthly basis, MDACS procures data from these centres for follow-ups. MDACS has been successfully able to track patients through several means which has helped to control cases of drug resistance. However, with HIV still considered taboo, patients often provide fake documents.

“As Aadhaar card is linked with bank, permanent address, passport and other personal documents, patients fear providing it for identification. So, we go to the given address, we fail to trace them and they go off the regime,” said a counsellor with the nodal ART centre at Sion Hospital.