Health Policy Issues and Health Programmes in ... - Amazon S3

National Health Programme in UttaranchalFor voluntary counselling and testing, at present there are only two VCTC centres—one at DoonHospital (Dehradun) and the other at Base Hospital (Nainital). A proposal is being sent for 12more VCTCs so that each district has its own VCTC. Voluntary counselling is offered for just Rs 10and is free if the client is referred by a government doctor.There are also plans for AIDS care. Capacity building for low-cost community-based care has tobe built up for better care and support of AIDS cases. Drugs for infections have to be madeavailable at hospitals. All cases of HIV/AIDS should be treated in general hospitals, as in the caseof other ailments. Confidentiality and privacy of the HIV patients is to be maintained.Counselling should form an integral part of management of HIV/AIDS cases. There is also aneed to train family members in taking care of HIV patients.For the strengthening of the programme, surveillance strategy is to be planned, followed by itsmonitoring and evaluation. Sentinel surveillance was conducted between August and October2001 in four STD sites and two ANC sites. This year it will be conducted in these six sites betweenAugust and October 2002. Training of staff at the VCTC, blood banks, and STD clinics is to becarried out.75