About 4,465 HIV patients undergo treatment at ART centre of GRH, says doctor

“Stigma attached to AIDS is probably the main reason to discriminate against people identified as HIV positive,” said M. Kumuthavalli, Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Medical officer, Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) here on Saturday.  

Speaking at an event organised by the Government Rajaji Hospital to observe the World Aids Day (December 1) and to honour the services of healthcare workers in this field, Dr. Kumuthavalli, said that people should be aware of the ways through which the virus could be transmitted from one person to another.  

“The four ways through which the transmission takes place is from mother to child while feeding, unsafe sex, needle sticks and blood transfusion. The general beliefs that the virus will be transmitted through food, proximity with the affected persons among others, which are intensified by false narratives in movies and other mediums are factually not true,” she added.

Many people who are afflicted with HIV and could not afford medicines for the treatment consider ART centre in government hospital as their last resort, as many of costly medicines are given free to the patients, she added.  

“While private hospitals are giving treatment for every other disease, they recommend HIV positive patients to GRH considering the risk attached to it,” said Dr. Kumuthavalli.  

About 4,112 patients have undergone viral loading test in GRH since 2014 and more than 4,446 patients have done CD4 test in 2023. Pointing out the test numbers, she said, these tests, most important for testing the presence of virus, could cost from ₹ 1,000 to ₹ 10,000 which many of the people could not even think of.

“For many daily wage labours and farmers who are afflicted with the virus due to various reasons to ensure that they continue their life normally to earn money and run their life, intake of medicines to suppress the virus becomes necessary,” she added.

About 4,465 patients who undergo treatment in the ART centre like any other person are continuing their life normally, she said.

At the event, technicians, nurses, doctors, who work at the ART centre were felicitated by the Dean of GRH A. Rathinavel.  

Healthcare workers starting from doctors to nurses who work with the HIV patients risk their lives in this process, which gives a valid reason to honour them on a day which is observed to remember the AIDS patients, said Dr. Rathinavel.