SKIMS to start free of cost HIV Viral Load Testing; MOU Signed

Region gets in-house HIV Viral Load testing facility

SRINAGAR, OCTOBER 20: A memorandum of understanding was signed today between Jammu & Kashmir AIDS Control Society (JKACS) and Sher-i -Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, Srinagar for starting free of cost HIV viral load testing of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) in SKIMS, Soura, Srinagar by utilizing the spare testing capacity of COBAS RT-PCR equipments for the quantitative HIV– 1 Viral Load Testing in the Department of Microbiology, SKIMS, Soura.

At present, the samples of PLHIV’s are being sent to Chandigarh for viral load testing. This in-house testing at SKIMS, Soura, Srinagar will reduce the turnaround time in the reporting of the final result which will help the clinicians to provide timely treatment to the PLHIV’s. A similar kind of MOU was signed between JKACS and GMC, Jammu few days back only and now with the signing of MOU with SKIMS the patients of J&K will be immensely benefitted as such kind of facility in their own region will save a lot of time, effort and expenses.

The MOU was signed in the presence of Prof. Parvaiz A. Koul, Director SKIMS & Ex–Officio Secretary to Government; Dr. Tabassum Jabeen, Director Family Welfare, J&K; Dr. Manu Bhatnagar, Additional Director, J&K AIDS Control Society, H&ME Department and Dr. Bashir Ahmad Fomda, HOD, Department of Microbiology, SKIMS, alongwith concerned officers from Department of Microbiology, SKIMS and J&K AIDS Control Society.