More Centres for HIV test and counselling in Punjab

Phagwara, Dec 6 (UNI) Punjab Government has initiated to set up 24 more Integerated Counselling and Testing Centres (ICTC) at important towns and sub-divisional headquarters to provide free counseling and testing for HIV to people, in addition to 33 ICTCs already running at district-level hospitals, Medical Colleges and selective sub-divisional hospitals in the state.

Senior Medical Officer Dr Kailash Kapoor said one of such centres would soon be set up at Phagwara Civil hospital where suspected HIV patients would be diagnosed and treated.

Dr Kapoor said that conselling and free testing of entire family of any suspected patient would also be provided at this centre.

Also, a third Anti Retroviral Treatment(ART) centre would soon start functioning at Patiala in addition to two ART Centres presently working in Jalandhar and Amritsar for providing comprehensive package of services for AIDS patients including drugs, counselling services, diagnosis and treatment of infections and preventive education.

UNI