SRINAGAR: The Centres for Disease Control (CDC), New Delhi on Monday gave the nod for starting viral load testing for the better management of HIV and Hepatitis B, C patients at Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu,.
The SCD gave the permission after inspecting the COBAS 6800 Lab installed in GMC.
A GMC spokesman said that for solid organ transplant programMEs also, viral load testing on various viruses is a must for better patient care
The COBAS 6800 Lab of the Department of Microbiology was inspected by Dr Manoj Kumar (Senior Manager LaQSH) in collaboration with CDC New Delhi as lead assessor.
“Dr Kumar meticulously assessed the laboratory services and manpower and declared the laboratory suitable for initiation of viral load testing with an assessment score of 93.5 percent,” he added.
The spokesman said that this would be followed by training of staff and the start of viral load testing in GMC Jammu itself.
With the establishment of facility, various patients under treatment for Hepatitis under National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme (NVHCP) and HIV under National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) will benefit.
Notably, COBAS Lab has been established under the VRDL program as a State of Art Lab. and is playing a lead role in COVID RT-PCR testing in Jammu Province.
All over India, 64 Abbott platforms and 13 COBAS 6800 have been allocated for viral load testing.
Earlier the sample of HIV viral load used to be sent to Chandigarh by NACO but with the establishment of this platform for viral load all further tests will be done in Jammu including viral load testing in Hepatitis B and C patients and transplant associated infections in immunosuppressed patients. (UNI)
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