Testing times for anti-AIDS drive

Short supply of kits disrupts viral load tests at only PCR centre of the state

Short supply of kits disrupts viral load tests at only PCR centre of the state

The National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) seems to be facing a major setback in the city when it comes to detection and treatment of HIV-affected people and diagnosing new ones.



The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) laboratory at Kasturba Gandhi Hospital, one of the seven HIV test centres in the country, performs viral load test on HIV+ people to decide their further medication.

But since February, it has not been able to process HIV+ blood samples, thanks to unavailability of kits required to perform the viral load tests.

The PCR laboratory, is facing shortage of kits required for conducting viral load test of patients who have developed resistance to the first line of HIV treatment.

"If a HIV+ person is not responding to the first line of drugs, then before putting them on second line of treatment we have to detect their viral load.
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Only if the viral load is in above 5,000 units, they qualify to get the second line drugs," said a doctor.

The Kasturba laboratory receives samples from two major referral ART centers state-run JJ hospital and BJMC College, Ahmedabad.

While the city facility is the nodal centre for ART centers in Maharashtra, Goa, Jabalpur and Madhya Pradesh, the Ahmedabad institute is the nodal centre for Gujarat for collecting samples of patients suspected to have developed resistance to the first line of drugs.

According to sources, more than 150 samples are yet to be tested. A HIV+ patient whose blood samples were collected in the first week of February, had to return from the JJ hospital's ART centre on Wednesday.
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"I was told that some specific of kits required for tests are not available, so it will take some time for the reports to come."

Cause

So what prompted the shortage of kits? "The PCR centre's stock of kits depleted faster because of higher consumption.
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In addition to that, there was some production-related problem Roche, a Germany-based company, where the kits are manufactured. So the assignment got delayed," said health officials.

On average the PCR laboratory gets 20 samples in a week from JJ hospital, while it receives 15 samples in two months from BJMC Ahmedabad.

Though Kasturba Hospital is not under the NACO, it houses a PCR laboratory where the tests are performed. JJ Hospital has five PCR machines but they lying unused.

"Without strengthening its existing centers, NACO seems to be in a hurry to open new centers across the country," said a senior official requesting anonymity.

The Other Side
Even after repeated attempts, Dr Sandhya Kabra, Assistant Director General, NACO could not be contacted for comment. Nilima Vaidya, scientific officer at the PCR laboratory, said, "NACO sends us kits through ROCHE. We had a little problem with supply, but things have been sorted out now. We have received some 10 kits and will clear the backlog soon."

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