SC concern over ART for HIV positive

[Guest guest]

SC concern over ART for HIV positive

PTI | 10:10 PM,Oct 01,2010

New Delhi, Oct 1 (PTI) The Supreme Court today expressed concern that government

is not making available the second line of ART (Antiretro viral therapy)

treatment to all HIV positive patients and was excluding those who opted private

hospitals for the first round of treatment.

" We cannot say that the patient cannot go to private hospitals, " a Bench headed

by Chief Justice S H Kapadia said when Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium said

private hospitals were not properly following the protocol for ART.

He said when the patient acquires resistance to the drug due to unmonitored

dosages, they turn to government-run centres for second line of treatement which

is very costly.

However, NGOs have challenged the National AIDS Control Organisation's (NACO's)

directives by which the second line of treatment is made available only to

certain specified categories of persons based on identified and specified

criteria.

The NGOs also sought a direction that all those who are clinically evaluated to

be in need of second line ART drugs should be provided such treatment free of

cost without regard to geographical location current registration with ART

centres, length of time on first line ART or any other condition.

Taking on record the pleas, the Bench, also comprising Justices K S

Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar, said " having heard arguments at length, we

are of the view that, in the first instance, the quarterly ART reporting format

for private sector needs to be immediately supplied through NACO to all private

hospitals who in turn will fill up the reporting format " .

It also took on record the assurance of the Solicitor General that the ART

reporting format will be posted on the website of NACO within two days. " The

private hospitals would submit the data to NACO within two weeks after the

format is put on the website " , the Bench said and posted the matter for hearing

after four weeks.

It also issued a notice to Medical Council of India relating to private doctors

involved in ART treatment.

http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/sc-concern-over-art-for-hiv-positive/\

369320.html

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

Re: /message/12046

I think it's a good move that now onwards private hospital will be providing

information/data to the government.

DNP+ have voice our concern over this issue in the past with media

as private practioner are not following any protocol or guideline for HIV

treatment.

However, it would wrong to assume or judge that drug resistance happens due to

unmonitored dosage prescribe by the private practitioner.

And this argument certainly can't be and shouldn't be the reason why NACO refuse

to provide 2nd line or make a strict inhumane (in) eligibility criteria for 2nd

line ART. 

Because initial days of ART roll out in India ie from 2005 to 2007, DNP+ has

documented 6 incidence of treatment supply interruption happening right here in

the capital of India - Delhi, you can only guess what would be the plight of

other state:

1. 14th Dec.2005:  EFV and Emtri-40 (Emtri=d4t+3TC+NVP) 40 days stock out at

AIIMS

2. 16th May 2006: EFV ,  6 days at RML Hospital.

3. 30th June 2006: EFV +3TC+d4T for  5 days at RML

4. 2nd  Feb. 2007: EFV Peadiatric formulation, 8 days at RML

5. 21st Feb. 2007: EFV and Emtri-40, 7 days at RML and AIIMS

6. 13th Mar. 2007: EFV and Emtri-40, 7 days at RML and AIIMS

It's evident that NACO also equally responsible for drug resistance isn't it?

Then let's stop pointing finger but make ways for easy access to treatment, be

it 1st line or 2nd line or OI drugs.

I humbly request NACO to do away with the 2nd line eligibility criteria and the

concept of SACEP.

Let 2nd line drugs be accessible as much as 1st line is.

And let us train our Doctors at ART clinic, so they should be able to

detect, diagnosis and treat people who needs 2nd line without going

through those bureaucratic hurdle of SACEP and do away with all those criteria,

which makes many people ineligible for 2nd line.

The only criteria should be only clinical, immunological and virological,

nothing more , nothing less.

Regards,

Loon Gangte

Secy DNP+

DNP+ <dnpplus@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear Loon Gangte,

Re: /message/12050

Thank you for that balanced statement. There are committed private practitioners

who have saved a number of lives before government started rolling out first

line ART.

Most of them were referred to the ART centres later when the free ART

was available.

Similarly the second line ART provided by trained private practitioners is a

valuable service until it is available free to all who need it.

I have seen doctors trying to help with their own sources to support ART

treatment before it was available free.

P.Manoharan, M.S.W

Project Coordinator

The Salvation Army HIV Care & Support Project

Nagercoil

Mob: 9894483110

e-mail: <pmharan2000@...>