O.P.D. No. 18, SVBP HOSPITAL

L.L.R.M. MEDICAL COLLEGE, Meerut

Phone No.      :    0121-2600059   

Working Hours          :     8.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.

The A.R.T. Center was established in the Department of Medicine at LLRM Medical College, Meerut in December 2005 by UP State AIDS Control Society (UPSACS), Lucknow for the care and management of Persons Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHAs) in Meerut and adjoining districts. It functions under the guidelines of UPSACS. The aim of the Center is to provide maximum care and treatment facilities for the PLHAs. There are trained staffs in the Center for this purpose and a team of faculty members for inter-departmental coordination. For ease and convenience of PLHAs, district hospital of six neighbouring districts (Bijnor, Bulandshahr, Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar and Saharanpur) has been designated as Link ART Centers.  From these centers they can get ARV drugs, drugs for opportunistic infections and other associated diseases and treatment at regular intervals.

•    Registration and treatment of HIV-infected patients.
•    Free distribution of Antiretroviral (ARV) medicines.
•    Free medicines for Opportunistic Infections (OIs).
•    CD4 and Viral Load testing facilities to assess the patient’s immune status and monitor treatment effectiveness.
•    HIV Counselling – guidance regarding the disease, treatment, medication adherence, and healthy lifestyle.
•    Health Education and Awareness Programs related to HIV/AIDS prevention and care.
•    Regular follow-up and monitoring of patients.
•    Services through Link ART Centres for patients from nearby districts, making HIV treatment and follow-up services more accessible.

Available Resources

•    Trained Medical Specialists
•    Counselling Room
•    Medicine Storage and Distribution Room
•    Laboratory for CD4 Testing
•    Patient Records and Data Management System
•    IEC (Information, Education & Communication) Materials
•    HIV/AIDS Awareness Programs and Training Modules

Major Equipment

•    CD4 Count Analyzer
•    Blood Sample Collection Equipment
•    Computers and Data Management System
•    Refrigerator/Cold Storage for Medicine Storage, wherever required
•    Weighing Machine
•    Blood Pressure (BP) Apparatus
•    Thermometer
•    Pulse Oximeter
•    Basic Medical Examination Equipment
•    Computers and Printers for Counselling and Record Management

REGISTRATION & COUNSELLING: Registration in the center is mandatory for all Persons whose HIV status has been confirmed as positive by standard recognized test for care and management through the center. They are counselled individually and also with responsible members of their family by trained counsellors on relevant aspects of their health/disease status, life-style and activities, diet, treatment modalities, possible opportunistic infections and its treatment, importance of regular follow up visits and adherence to ARV therapy, CD4 testing and other laboratory/radiological tests and investigations at regular intervals, the rights and duties of the PLHAs towards the members of their family and society.

CD4 COUNT and VIRAL LOAD: CD4/Viral Load test is totally free of cost and is done on each and every positive HIV client. After registration and proper counselling, the positive clients are advised to get their CD4 test done in ART Center itself to assess their immune status and initiation of ARV therapy and/or repeat CD4/Viral Load testing at regular intervals on due dates given to them.
Other Laboratory and Radiological Investigations relevant to their health/disease status are also done in the department of Biochemistry, Pathology, Microbiology, and Radio-diagnosis

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the combination of medicines used to treat HIV infection. It suppresses HIV replication, restores/improves immune function, reduces morbidity and mortality, and prevents sexual transmission of HIV when viral suppression is maintained.
When to start ART
•    ART should be started in all people diagnosed with HIV, irrespective of CD4 count or clinical stage.
•    Start treatment as soon as possible after diagnosis, after appropriate baseline evaluation and counselling.
•    In pregnancy, ART should be started promptly because it benefits both the mother and prevention of mother-to-child transmission.

HIV Positive clients who need hospitalization for management of their problems are admitted in the wards of Medicine Department through Medicine OPD during OPD hours and through Emergency after OPD Hours/during holidays.

Anti-Retro-Viral (ARV) drugs are provided free of cost to all HIV positive clients from the ART Center itself.

Drugs for opportunistic infections if required are also provided free of cost from the Center.

The center conducts regular Sensitization programes on HIV/AIDS for medical and paramedical staff of medical college, district hospital, peripheral hospitals, local practitioners and health care workers.

The Center also organizes HIV/AIDS Awareness programmes for general public, youths and teen-age school children through audio-visual aids at schools, colleges and NSS/NCC camps and through banners, hoardings and wall writings at public places.

01 December is observed as WORLD AIDS DAY by the Center and organizes debates and poster competition for junior doctors, medical and paramedical students of medical college and school children in Meerut. The center also organizes programmes based on HIV/AIDS Awareness by  nukkad natak, puppet show, magic show, dances and songs.