Wednesday, 26 October 2016

DAPCU Thoubal (Manipur) Response to the Theme : DAPCUs role in strengthening referral between ICTC - ART

What strategies are currently being adopted to ensure linkages between ICTC and ART centre in your District?
DAPCU is making an effort to integrate the CST services within the health system. Accessing of free Health Check-up , free treatment  under government, giving of Transportation charges to all PLHIV who are  taking  drugs from ART centre under the NACO guideline, intercommunication or sharing of information in between the ART and ICTCs. ART Visit by ICTC Counselor, utilization of Outreach worker of TI –NGOs to link all the Positive Clients to ART, co-ordination with RNTCP Staffs and DOTs providers, ASHA are the main current strategies which are adopted by DAPCU Thoubal.
The delivery of Care and treatment services to the people living with HIV/AIDS   need three –tier service structure, a part from the maintenance of reconciliation sheet of ICTC- ART linkages data because these three-tier systems will help a lot to strengthen the ICTC and ART linkages. So, we need various level of service accessibility.
They are: -

1. Centre of Excellence and link ART.

2. ART Centre.

3.  Decentralized Link- ART centre& link ART plus centre.

 ART centres are also linked with community support centre run by NGOS for a comprehensive packages of services. Detection of HIV positive is the normal duty of the ICTC and accessing of treatment and care activity is for ART centre, both are the two sides of a coin. There  are many challenges for PLHIV and care givers  for taking of Drugs  and for giving drugs, in terms of transportation, cost to access ART and  Stock availability, late entry of PLHIV into ART  and also the poor ownership of ART centres by Health system etc. so, the understanding these problem of Staffs and PLHIV help to strengthen the  linkages of ICTCs /ART. Proper pre –ART counseling , regular follow –up  of every 6 months, strengthening coordination and flow of information between the various services  starting from  Pre-ART enrollment to  continuum care will also  support to strengthen the linkages of ICTC/ART centres.

What steps can DAPCU take to link all the patients who are detected positives for HIV at the ICTCs to ART?

DAPCU is the monitoring and supervision unit. DAPCU has taken some steps to link all the positive clients to the ART centre:
They are: -

  1. Maintenance of proper reconciliation sheet.
  2. Regular field visit.
  3. Organized monthly ICTC/ART Review meeting and sharing of all the information between the ICTC/ ART center.
  4. To Link to the Line department for the entitlement of Social benefits scheme & nutritional support to PLHIV.
  5. Reduction of Stigma and Discrimination at the health facilities and community link to the Line department for the entitlement of Social benefit scheme & nutritional support to PLHIVs are also the main activities of DAPCU.
  6.  Organizing District coordination meeting of CSC/ART and TI-NGO etc.

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