HT Correspondent
TEZPUR, Nov 16: The Alliance India in collaboration with the Assam State AIDS Control Society and the
Tezpur branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) conducted a sensitization and orientation
workshop on the National AIDS Control Programme ART guideline at the IMA Conference Hall in Tezpur.
Several members of the IMA along with other medical professionals attended the sensitization
programme held in Tezpur recently.
Queen Gogoi Das, honoraray secretary of IMA,Tezpur branch, welcomed the participants and
highlighted the role of the doctors in addressing the epidemic.
Chiranjeeb Kakoty, state coordinator of Alliance India spoke about the 95:95:95 goal of the National
AIDS Control Organization (NACO) and what is the position currently at both national and state levels.
He made a presentation on the private sector engagement and what role the private practitioners and
private health institutions can play in treating the PLHIVs. He also discussed the reporting format which
needs to be submitted by those private practitioners, who prescribe ARV medicines to the SACS every
quarter.
Purabi Thaosen, assistant professor of the department of medicine of the Tezpur Medical College and
the nodal officer of the ARTC oriented the gathering on the ART guidelines of NACO and also about the
various possible co-infections including HIV TB Co-infection.She also highlighted the Post- Exposure
Prophylaxis which all health care providers and institutions should be aware of, given their
vulnerabilities.
Atul Kr. Kalita, honoraray secretary of IMA, Assam state branch highlighted the treatment and reporting
of tuberculosis cases by private practitioners. He said the same should be tried in HIV cases also, though
such a step has not yet been taken to train doctors in the state and particularly the district.
On the other hand, both Kakoty and Thaosen answered various queries which were put forth by the
participants related to stigma, testing and referral and treatment of co-infections.
Dwipen Mahanta, president of IMA’s Tezpur branch, while speaking on the way forward highlighted the
need for one to one communication with the medical practitioners to include them in the network of
service providers for PLHIV and taking a massive social media campaign to address stigma and
discrimination and promote treatment seeking behavior of such persons.
