Purba Medinipur's Response to Theme- DAPCUs and F-ICTCs

 Role of DAPCUs in establishing F-ICTCs:

Facility Integrated Counselling & Testing Centre for HIV screening is relatively new concept introduced in NACP-III by NACO under intradepartmental convergence strategy. The basic idea of establishing FICTC is to cover more people of a district by utilizing existing human resource & infrastructure of health department. The Counsellor of Anwesha (Adolescent) clinic and LT of DMCs are being trained and deployed to perform screening of HIV at BPHC/CHCs/PHCs. To these counsellors and LTs this HIV test seems to be an additional task to perform, and hence they resist. Here comes the role of DAPCU to explain the importance of the test and motivate the team and the authority of the respective institutions to incorporate the service along with other running programmes.

DACO delivering speech in a sensitization programme 

 In Purba Medinipur District, DAPCU supports the district authority as well as unit authority to carry out the SWOT analysis before launching the programme in a unit. Through this analysis authority of respective units realize the infrastructural strength, client load at OPD & Pathology unit, workload of respective staffs and benefits of community people as well as medical staffs. DAPCU also follows, informs & coordinates with FICTCs & WBSAP&CS regarding the geographical gaps, migration pattern, occupational trends, vulnerability issue and the need aroused from Spatial Map analysis. Moreover, DAPCU play a proactive role to comply with the administrative order of WBSAP&CS regarding the opening of FICTC. 

Capacity building of FICTC

• In West Bengal WBSAP&CS organizes training programmes for Counsellors (Anwesha Clinic) & LTs as per their plan, DAPCU supports them by providing release order from the end of CMOH to concern FICTCs. 

  

  District level orientation session on FICTC

• DAPCU organizes sensitization programmes on HIV/AIDS, orientation on NACP deliverables, status & information of other NACP facilities of the district, ART information, orientation on PEP etc for MO, ANMs, Indoor staffs, Supervisors, ASHA and all other working staffs of BPHCs (Block Primary Health Centre).
• DAPCU also organizes on-spot orientation of LTs by involving MT Labs of Standalone ICTCs.
• Moreover, DAPCU provides orientation & handholding support in documentation and reporting.
• DAPCU also guides the team regarding the linkage of FICTC with other NACP facilities.
• DAPCU also arrange to provide logistic support like centrifuge machine, micro-pipette, HIV testing kit, syringe, needle, scheduled registers, consent forms, reporting pad etc.

Strengthening of linkages between F-ICTC and ICTCs

           

As per the standard testing protocol all clients screened as HIV reactive at FICTC are to be referred to the nearest ICTC for conducting confirmatory test. So, FICTCs are informed about the contact details of all ICTCs of the districts, even at the initial stage DAPCU plays a vital role to link clients of FICTC to ICTC. In due course FICTCs are linked with DLN, TI NGOs & LWS for better linkage.    

Monitoring and evaluation of F-ICTCs

DPM is trying to resolve conflict of Erashal FICTC

  DAPCU provides supportive supervision to FICTCs in each month by utilizing the monitoring format of ICTC provided by NACO. During on-site visit DAPCU religiously verify stock position, referral linkage and documentation. DAPCU also organizes monthly review meetings at district level where analysis are done on achievements, gaps and problems faced etc.

Few achievements

            Currently there are seven numbers of FICTC are functional (03 in 2011-12 and 04 in 2013-14) along with 10 ICTCs and notably some FICTCs are performing equally like an ICTC. Till date FICTCs have catered 5311 clients in the districts. A comparative achievement is presented hereunder. Though the time frame is different and in between a good numbers of sensitization and IEC programmes were conducted in the district by DAPCU. The figure shows that the concept of FICTC is an effective strategy to cover more numbers of people of a district. If close monitoring not ensured the public interest may be hampered and also mishandling of kit and other logistics may occur. 

                

	New ICTCs				FICTCs
Month wise Performance starting from inception	Reapara	Mugberia	Paikpari		Khejurberia	Bhagwanpur	Moyna
	July'10	March'10	June'10		August'11	August' 11	January'12
	Testing				Testing
1st	35	11	27		39	24	21
2nd	38	24	85		66	98	257
3rd	69	72	71		58	55	238
4th	32	63	46		116	0	107
5th	52	84	59		154	0	137
6th	32	66	74		103	0	122
Total	258	320	362		536	177	882