ART scale up meeting at Regional Institute of Medical Science Imphal

[Guest guest]

Dear ALL

I have attended the meeting invited by ART in charge Regional Institute of

Medical Science Imphal (RIMS) Dr. Bhimo along with the MACS Deputy Director

(ART) and some of the Doctors taking shifts at the ART unit RIMS.

The Superintendent of RIMS Dr.Arun was also present in the meeting as well.

The agenda of the meeting was on scaling up ART at RIMS whereby the

consignment of ARV has already arrived and due to be dispensed.

The matter that concerns during the discussion was about framing a proper

criterion to accomodate the alloted slot. But it is not going

to be an easy task as a near 1200 subjects who are in need of ARV has enrolled

as wait listed candidates at RIMS. The ART in charge has

assured that about 200 slots could be increased with referrence to the

consignment of ARV that is being delivered. The ARV drugs that is in receipt

seems to be of triple combination viz. Stavudine, lamivudine nevirapine and

zidovudine, lamivudine, Nevirapine along with some 50 slots for effavirenz.

The meeting was not orderly conducted as much of the discussion was

carried away in attending clarifications for the RIMS perintendent.

He was not well informed about the ART functioning at his institute

and primarily not seems to be consumed with the happenings in the

center. Later he was rather getting more involved and opinioned that

things should be endeavoured with commitment and participation.

But strong opinions were rendered by the NGO representatives that proper

criterion should be set before commencing so that the program

is not hampered and serving the cause in an effective way. However the final

meeting is to be conducted at the Project Director MSACS's

office for adressing the various issues in framing a proper criteria

for the subjects who are in the wait listed list.

So the roll out will be taken placed only after this meeting has come

up with a firm solution that has to be dealt with the pros and cons.

Lets get our fingers crossed as some more lives are going to get saved if timely

intervened

Regards

Haobam Nanao

Coordinator,

Gipa Alliance

E-mail: <gipa.alliance@...>