Advance machine to ease AIDS treatment

Good news for State patients

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Dec 3: It makes news for State AIDS or HIV patients that Assam is going to receive a Viral Load Testing (VLT) Machine for better treatment of AIDS. 

Speaking to this reporter on Sunday, in-charge of Care Support and Treatment Division of Assam State AIDS Control Society (ASACS) Mab Das said, “Earlier the AIDS patients of the state had to go to Kolkata for getting checked by this machine. Now we’ve decided to bring such machine to Assam,” he said.

“VLT machine is used initially along with CD4 count to determine the status of HIV infection in a person diagnosed with the disease. The viral load is then used to monitor the effectiveness of the treatment.

HIV Viral load also helps determine whether the virus infecting a person has become drug-resistant. If a person doesn’t respond well to treatment and the amount of virus continues to increase, then the virus may be resistant to that particular treatment. The person’s treatment will then likely be modified and will be recommended for second, third and fourth stage of treatment considering the need of patients,.” he added.

Das said that VLT machine is expected to be available in Gauhati Medical College and Hospital by the end of this fincial year.