NACP III: HIV testing in private lab - nobody is bothering

[Guest guest]

Dear forum

How many people are undergoing HIV testing in private labs daily? I am sure

nobody knows the figure. And I am also confident the number is many times higher

than the number of persons visiting Govt VCTC for the same testing. And the

crucial and significant observation is private labs never go for test related

counseling sessions with the person requiring a test and the repeat test is

hardly done for confirmation. So somebody with a positive result from a private

lab is no different from a person infected by HIV but with an unknown status.

They keep on shedding the virus because they were never told about its

implications.

My dear friends of AIDS forum, it is very much happening in India.

Recently I met three of such persons in a short interval of one month. They

don’t know their HIV status but their reports of the private lab say they have

been already infected. Surprisingly two of them were with utterly low risk

perception and continued sex without protection with spouses and other partners.

Does anybody know how many private labs in India perform HIV testing? Is there

any mechanism of NACO, existing or in the pipeline, which can pick up some

useful information on what is happening in thousands and thousands of private

labs in the name of HIV testing? Is there any organization seriously thinking

about developing an intervention with the private labs in the form of

sensitization of the staffs and mobilizing development of a logical and

sensitive reporting system in the labs? Does IMA have any critical thought to

improve the counseling skill of the private healthcare providers so that they do

not recommend HIV testing blindly?

I am definite that all these questions have only one answer, an enormous NO.

Shockingly it hits nobody so far. I discussed the issue with some top officials

of NACO. Their response was, ‘Yeah, it is a serious matter. But we can not make

any regulation for the private labs and physicians as far as HIV testing is

concernedE

If this is the reaction of the representatives of the most powerful AIDS control

organization of the country we better start preparation for the dire

consequences.

Do you think we can ever put a check on HIV transmission in India with these

types of events happening in huge numbers but going absolutely unattended?

Sorry, the possibility is extremely bleak.

I strongly believe we have already missed the bus for India.

In Solidarity

Nilim Gera Gangopadhyay

E-mail: <nilim_g4@...>