(ANTRI-RETROVIRAL THERAPY CENTRE)    

Teaching :PG Students Training
Research: PG Thesis work\\
Diagnostic: CD4 Count
Patients Care: Counselling, Education, Drug distribution

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 & 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: CD4 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 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

Clients who are found to have below normal CD4 count are advised to start ARV therapy at the earliest and the same is initiated immediately on all willing clients under monitoring by the Medical Officers of ART Center and also by the Medical Officer at the Community Care Center located opposite to Medical College, where the clients are provided free boarding and lodging during the monitoring period.  

Thorough physical and clinical examination is done by the SMO and MO. Relevant laboratory tests and radiological investigations are also advised on their first visit and on follow up visits also depending on the health/disease status of the clients. For associated disease, if any, the clients are referred to the concerned speciality for advise and management.

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.