A memorandum of understanding was signed today between Jammu & Kashmir AIDS Control Society (JKACS) and Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu for starting free of cost HIV viral load testing in the premier hospital of the People Living with HIV (PLHIV).The agreement provided for utilization of the spare testing capacity of COBAS RT-PCR equipment for the quantitative HIV –1 Viral Load Testing in the Department of Microbiology, GMC Jammu.
At present, the samples of PLHIVs are being sent to Chandigarh for viral load testing. This in-house testing at GMC, Jammu will reduce turnaround time in the reporting of the final result which will help the clinicians to provide timely treatment to the PLHIVs.
The MOU was signed in the presence of Dr. Ashutosh Gupta, Principal, Government Medical College, Jammu, Dr. Manu Bhatnagar, Additional Director, J&K AIDS Control Society, H&ME Department and Dr. Sandeep Dogra, HOD, Department of Microbiology, GMC, Jammu along with their respective concerned officials.