Free viral load testing for people with HIV

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, July 9

The viral load test of HIV patients affected with Hepatitis-C would be done free of cost at the Civil Hospital, Bathinda, soon. Earlier, patients were paying Rs 1,800 to get the viral load test done at private labs.

According to officials of the Health Department, the viral load testing machine has been received from the state unit of the Health Department and its installation work would be completed soon. The training has been given to the doctor and staff members of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) centre. Two new appointments have been made — senior lab technician and lab technician — for the free facilitation of viral load tests at the hospital.

A senior functionary from the district unit of the Health Department said that a majority of HIV patients affected with Hepatitis-C who are undergoing treatment at the government hospital are from the low socio-economic background. They cannot afford to pay high rates of viral load test being charged by private laboratories in the city. With the testing facility available for free at the Civil Hospital such patients would be directly benefitted. Earlier, there were patients who did not even bother about getting themselves tested for the viral load presence in their body.