Orissa: CD4 machine defunct in MKCG medical college

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Dear forum

This is a request to NACO and OSACS to speed up the process. Please go through

the following article from Hindu on october 09th.

BERHAMPUR: The CD4 machine at the Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) centre in the

MKCG medical college of the city is not serving the AIDS patients since second

week of August this year.

The CD4 machine could not be operated from August 17 as the trained laboratory

technician appointed to run the machine resigned from his job, said Pritilata

Panda, the associate professor of the Microbiology Department of MKCG medical

college. The Orissa State Aids Control Society (OSACS) tried to solve this

problem by deputing a laboratory technician trained in CD4 machine operation

from SCB medical college, Cuttack to Berhampur for three days in a week.

The CD4 machine was tried to be operated again in first week of September. But

it showed technical faults due to which it provided faulty readings about T4

cell count in blood samples. Initially it was thought to be some fault in the

software of the machine. But the personnel of the company which has taken the

contract for the maintenance of the CD4 machine could not solve it. On September

30 they have promised to replace the motherboard of the computer attached to the

CD4 machine, if needed. The technicians of the maintenance firm have taken the

CPU of the computer with them.

The programme manager of the Ganjam district AIDS control unit, Siba Narayan

Sahu said the process had been initiated for the appointment of a new laboratory

technician to run the CD4 machine. This CD4 machine had been installed in the

ART centre in MKCG medical college in February 2008. Till August around 6,000

blood samples of AIDS patients has been tested by it.

This CD4 machine was donated by the Clinton foundation for the AIDS patients of

the State who were undergoing ART. This machine has got its name from a

glycoprotein on the surface of T4 cells in our body called Cluster of

Differentiation 4(CD4).

The CD4 machine counts the T4 cells, which are special white blood cells or

lymphocytes that are basis of our immune system. Enumeration of these cells

decides the extent of HIV infection in a person suffering from AIDS. The HIV, a

retrovirus, destroys T4 lymphocytes. The T4 cell count provided by the machine

is the index to decide the dosage of drugs provided to a patient undergoing ART.

It may be noted that Ganjam district happens to be the most HIV prone area.

Pramod Sethi, the secretary of the Rushikulya Network of Positive People (RNPP),

an organisation of HIV positive persons in Ganjam district said it was high time

for the government to intervene so that the CD4 machine here could be made

functional again in a short period for the benefit of AIDS patients.

http://www.hinduonnet.com/2009/10/09/stories/2009100954780300.htm

Santosh K

e-mail: <kumarpositive@...>