HYDERABAD: HIV test kit shortage

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APSACS grapples with HIV test kit shortage

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2003 01:06:05 AM ]

HYDERABAD: The National Aids Control Organisation's (Naco) failure to

supply HIV test kits has resulted in a situation wherein the Andhra

Pradesh Aids Control Society (APSACS) APSACS is struggling to meet

the demand for these kits from blood banks.

Naco has failed to fulfil its supply commitments to APSACS for the

April-June and July-September quarters.

According to a senior APSACS official, the society was initially

unprepared to meet the shortfall. But now kits were being outsourced

from local manufacturers on the basis of a tender. Sources at the

Gandhi General Hospital said that there has been a shortage of HIV

test kits on more than one occasion over the past two months.

As per Naco guidelines, it is mandatory that five tests, including an

HIV one, be done on all samples collected at blood banks. There are

172 licenced blood banks in the state, 52 in the twin cities.

APSACS officials said that steps were being taken to tide over the

shortage. According to a senior official, superintendents of

government hospitals and blood banks have been asked to procure HIV

test kits from other sources until the supply from Naco resumes.

Supplies from local manufacturers are likely to begin arriving by the

end of this week. APSACS has undertaken to reimburse the money spent

by blood banks on procuring these test kits.

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