HIV COUNSELING & TESTING CENTRE
Initiated: August 2009
Location: Delhi Cantonment
Broad Objectives:
- HIV testing and counseling services to Antenatal patients – wives of uniformed personnel and other members of the wider community from cantonment and surrounding areas.
- Provide counseling services.
- HIV education and awareness.
Description:
The ICTC, at the Delhi Cantonment Board Hospital ,is being run under the guidance and supervision of one Medical Practitioner with one counselor and testing expert. The practitioner offers its services to patients that mostly come from areas in Delhi Cantt and West Delhi. The centre receives patients from other states like Haryana and Uttar Pradesh for HIV testing and counseling.
INSTI kits are used to for testing for HIV. This is a one minute testing kit. All testing is done free-of-cost by trained staff. Maitri refers any patient tested positive for HIV to the Deen Dayal Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital, Lortt Carery Care Home and Base Hospital, Delhi Cantt.
The Lorrt Carery Care Home provides facilities to HIV positive patients, including temporary residence, medication, and facilitate employment. Other HIV positive patients, referred to Government hospital, are provided treatment from the ART Centre.
Maitri while counseling and testing , also follows-up with people living with HIV and their families. The centre also offers condom distribution and demonstration.
Maitri maintains high levels of confidentiality during counseling. Pre and post testing counseling is given to all patients being tested. The patient’s family is also counseled once he/ she has informed her spouse/family to deal with stigma and other related issues
Evaluation Assessment:
- Total number of people tested for HIV: 5336. 23 patients tested positive.
- Pre and post testing counseling
- Domestic Violence Counseling
- Referral and follow up system.
- Awareness of HIV through IEC material/ Health camps and Nukkad Natak ( Street Theatre)
