With a view to provide free and better treatment facilities to people suffering from HIV and AIDS, Haryana State AIDS Control Society (HSACS) would open a new Anti Retro Viral Treatment (ART) Centre at Medical College, Agroha in district Hisar. Also, one Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) clinic would be opened in Medical College in Mewat.
Haryana Health Minister, Rao Narender Singh said that a number of facilities were being provided by State Government for prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS in the State. These facilities were being provided through Integrated Counseling and Testing centres, Sexually Transmitted Infections Clinics, Anti Retro Viral Treatment Centres and Opioid Substitute Therapy Centers.
He said, “This year, till now, about 1.52 lakh general clients were tested for HIV, out of which 2325 (1.52 per cent) found positive for HIV and about 1.19 lakh pregnant women were tested and 163 (0.13 per cent) were found HIV positive.” The awareness campaign was being carried out in 3,329 schools, 226 colleges and 10
universities.
The Minister said that with a view to curb infection of AIDS through injection among the people, six new Opioid Substitution Therapy Centres (OST) have been opened under the Harm Reduction Programme at Ambala, Panchkula, Faridabad, Panipat Sonipat and Bahadurgarh. Apart from this, four new such Centers would soon be set up at Rewari, Hisar, Jind and Sirsa.
Health Minister further said that one ART centre has been made functional at PGIMS Rohtak to provide free CD4 testing and treatment facility to AIDS patients and 17 link ART Centres were already functional in the State.
As many as 4693 patients were getting treatment facilities at these centres, he added. He said that 97 STI clinics were functional where counseling, VDRl testing and treatment was being provided free of cost to patients. About 1.23 lakh patients suffering from STIs have been treated.