AP: 100 more AIDS centres to come up

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AP: 100 more AIDS centres to come up

Tuesday June 28 2005 13:36 IST

HYDERABAD: The State Government has directed the Andhra Pradesh

State AIDS Control Society (APSACS) to set up 100 more Voluntary

Counselling and Testing Centres (VCTCs) across the State. As many as

107 VCTC centres are already functioning in the State.

APSACS will open 70 centers by next month and the remaining 30

centres will be set up at TB hospitals where microscopic testing

facility is available.

On an average each district will get three additional VCTCs in

addition to the existing number.

``While the available government infrastructure would be used at the

new centers, volunteers from Lepra India would also be roped in.

Equipment such as testing kits and syringes would be provided and

the expenditure on each centre would be about Rs 25,000,'' APSACS

deputy director K Padmavathi told this website's newspaper.

Three types of tests - Comb AIDS Advantage, Retroquick and Enzyme

Immuno Assay (EIJ) tests- will be offered for HIV suspected patients

free of cost. ``Usually middle class and below middle class people

come to these centres for getting tested. As each of these tests

would cost more than Rs 200, naturally they depend on us,'' said

joint director Dr Ramana Rao.

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