ID :
22532
Fri, 10/03/2008 - 20:15
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/22532
The shortlink copeid
W NUSA TENGGARA OPTIMIZING VCT CLINICS TO COPE WITH HIV/AIDS
Mataram, Indonesia, Oct 3 (ANTARA) - The West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) provincial administration continues to optimize the functions of Voluntary Counsellings and Testing (VCT) clinics to cope with HIV/AIDS, a health official said.
"The VCT clinics must work optimally. VCT team must not only wait for people to come for health checkups but also approach members of the public every time they receive a report on a new case," said West Nusa Tenggara Health Office Chief Baiq Magdalena on Friday.
The number of HIV/AIDS cases in West Nusa Tenggara had increased significantly in the last three years, she said.
The West Nusa Tenggara office of the National AIDS Eradication Commission (KPAD) had reported the number of HIV/AIDS cases in the province until August 2008 had reached 201.
In 2006, 15 people were reported infected with HIV and 36 suffering from AIDS. In 2007, the number of HIV-infected people had risen to 21 and that of AIDS sufferers to 57.
In early 2008, there were 15 HIV-infected people and 72 AIDS sufferers . Today, the number of HIV-infected people had reached 129 and those with AIDS 72 so that the total number of HIV/AIDS patients in the province was now 201.
Meanwhile, of the 72 AIDS sufferers, 42 had died and the rest were dying.
Most or 65 of the HIV/AIDS cases involved people aged between 25 and 29 years while in 6 cases the sufferers were infants.
"NTB's Health Office has formed a special team to optimize the functions of VCT clinics. There are three hospitals in NTB that have VCT clinics-- Mataram General Hospital, Mataram General Hospital for Mentally Ill and Central Lombok's Praya General Hospital," Magdalena said.
"The VCT teams are assigned to look for new cases in their early stages and handle them maximally. The teams consist of internists, general practitioners as the heads and also counseling staff," said Magdalena, adding the VCT teams were assisted by outreach or case-detection teams.
"To maximize their ability to monitor cases in wide areas and detect the possible spreading of HIV/AIDS at an early stage, the VCT teams also operate in close coordination with communication forums existing in the community," she said.
"In the future, every hospital must form a VCT clinic to help patients and handle new cases quickly," Magdalena said.
"The VCT clinics must work optimally. VCT team must not only wait for people to come for health checkups but also approach members of the public every time they receive a report on a new case," said West Nusa Tenggara Health Office Chief Baiq Magdalena on Friday.
The number of HIV/AIDS cases in West Nusa Tenggara had increased significantly in the last three years, she said.
The West Nusa Tenggara office of the National AIDS Eradication Commission (KPAD) had reported the number of HIV/AIDS cases in the province until August 2008 had reached 201.
In 2006, 15 people were reported infected with HIV and 36 suffering from AIDS. In 2007, the number of HIV-infected people had risen to 21 and that of AIDS sufferers to 57.
In early 2008, there were 15 HIV-infected people and 72 AIDS sufferers . Today, the number of HIV-infected people had reached 129 and those with AIDS 72 so that the total number of HIV/AIDS patients in the province was now 201.
Meanwhile, of the 72 AIDS sufferers, 42 had died and the rest were dying.
Most or 65 of the HIV/AIDS cases involved people aged between 25 and 29 years while in 6 cases the sufferers were infants.
"NTB's Health Office has formed a special team to optimize the functions of VCT clinics. There are three hospitals in NTB that have VCT clinics-- Mataram General Hospital, Mataram General Hospital for Mentally Ill and Central Lombok's Praya General Hospital," Magdalena said.
"The VCT teams are assigned to look for new cases in their early stages and handle them maximally. The teams consist of internists, general practitioners as the heads and also counseling staff," said Magdalena, adding the VCT teams were assisted by outreach or case-detection teams.
"To maximize their ability to monitor cases in wide areas and detect the possible spreading of HIV/AIDS at an early stage, the VCT teams also operate in close coordination with communication forums existing in the community," she said.
"In the future, every hospital must form a VCT clinic to help patients and handle new cases quickly," Magdalena said.
