Imphal, April 28: The High Court of Manipur has directed RIMS to start operating the viral load testing machine within three months, the biggest achievement of Community Network for Empowerment (CoNE), giving some hope to people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the state, stated RK Nolinikanta, president of CoNE.
Acting on a writ petition filed by CoNE, the Manipur High Court has directed on April 25 to start functioning the viral load testing machine at RIMS to mitigate the grievances faced by more than 13,000 people living with HIV undergoing anti-retroviral treatment, he said.
“Despite having such number of people living with HIV, the Manipur State Aids Control Organisation (MACS), central ministry of health and family welfare, National Aids Control Organisation (NACO), Regional Institute of Medical Science (RIMS), the nodal officer at Centre of Excellence, ART centre and state government has failed to install a viral load testing machine in Manipur.”
CoNE, a state-level network of 14 community-based organisations of people who have used drugs has filed a PIL at High Court of Manipur on April 6 in relation with the problems faced by them, he added.
He said according to the later World Health Organisation HIV treatment guidelines for people living with HIV or undergoing anti-retroviral treatment must take a viral load test once a year to ensure their treatment is working properly or whether they needed extra adherence support to get back on track.
“The viral load test determines the amount of virus (HIV) in a patient’s blood. It can better monitor how someone is responding to treatment. If the levels are found to be undetectable, the drugs are suppressing HIV as they should. But an elevated or high level of virus indicates a problem.”
Before the court directive, the viral load test facility was not available in government health facilities. Blood sample were sent to Kolkata NICED centre which takes 15-20 days to deliver the report. Beside only those patients who have failed the first line treatment regime and are recommended by the State AIDS Clinical Expert Panel (SACEP) for the second-line treatment regime are eligible for a free cost viral load test in Kolkata, he said.
Viral load test machine is installed at Babina diagnostic centre with a service charge of 4,950 rupees per test and very few patients can afford it. Unfortunately, results from private clinics are not recognised by NACO/MACS and not accepted, Nolinikanta added.
The legal counsel of CoNE Kh Tarunkumar said that a writ petition (PIL) 14 of 2013 was filed on behalf of the people living with HIV. The double bench of Chief Justice LK Mohapatra and N Kotiswar of High Court of Manipur on April 25 gave a verdict ordering the full functioning of the RIMS viral load testing machine which is not operational due to the lack of manpower.
The court directed to make operational the viral load testing machine within three months and the reports of the patients should be submitted during the given time, he added.
Besides demanding installation of a viral load testing machine in a suitable government healthcare facility in the stat, CoNE is also seeking judicial intervention to provide treatment of opportunistic infection free of cost, adhere to NACO operational guidelines for ART centre by providing safe drinking water, adequate space for seating and hygienic toilet facility among others, Tarunkumar added.