Every Madhya Pradesh district to have AIDS drugs centre
By IANSWednesday, March 24, 2010
BHOPAL - With Madhya Pradesh reporting over 400 new HIV-AIDS cases in 2009, medical centres are to be set up in every district so that patients, especially rural ones, can get treatment without having to travel long distances.
The directive to create more Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) link centres was issued by Health Minister Anup Mishra. He also said grants to NGOs whose work was not evident should be stopped immediately.
Omesh Mundra, director of the state AIDS Control Society, said the setting up of ART centres enables easy detection and treatment of HIV-AIDS patients.
“The ART, the main motive of which is to provide treatment and medicines to patients free of cost so long as the patient is alive, has provided a sense of security among the sufferers,” Mundra said, adding the centres also counsel patients.
Since the state AIDS Control Society has set up ART centres in only five districts, many patients have to travel long distances for treatment, resulting in their missing out on regular visits, an official said.
Also, monthly visits lead to a lot of rush at ART centres, inconveniencing patients. The visits may also entail patients having to spend on their stay in a city in addition to travel cost, he said.
All these factors have been perceived as potential barriers to an optimal adherence to ART.
To minimise the travel and other logistical problems for patients on ART, the authorities envisaged the setting up of authorised drug distribution centres called ART link centres.
According to the AIDS Control Society, the state saw 414 new cases of the disease in 2009 as against 380 cases in 2008. This is the highest figure till date in cumulative years from 1988. A total of 3,340 cases have been detected in the state till now.
In 2009, at least 60 cases were detected in Gwalior district followed by 54 in Jabalpur and 42 in Bhind while the maximum number of patients were in the age group of 31-40 followed by the 21-30 year group.
Since 1998, 217 people died of HIV-AIDS in the state and there are at present a total of 3,123 patients in the state.
India has over 2.5 million HIV patients.
