Chandigarh: Haryana has approved its second HIV viral load testing laboratory, to be set up at Civil Hospital, Panchkula, in a move aimed at improving access to timely diagnosis and monitoring for HIV-positive patients.Additional chief secretary (health) Sumita Misra said the facility had been cleared at an annual cost of ₹1.65 crore and would have the capacity to conduct around 15,000 tests a year.At present, samples from across Haryana are sent to PGIMS Rohtak, the state’s only existing HIV viral load testing laboratory. Officials said the Panchkula facility would reduce turnaround time for test results and improve monitoring of patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy (ART).The new lab will be established by using the Covid-19 molecular testing infrastructure already available at Civil Hospital, Panchkula, along with additional equipment required for HIV viral load testing.The project was developed on the basis of inputs from the Haryana State AIDS Control Society (HSACS), while the technical evaluation was carried out by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO). The cost per HIV viral load test has been fixed at ₹1,100 in line with national guidelines.Officials said the entire expenditure on setting up and operating the facility would be borne by NACO.Misra said the new lab would strengthen Haryana’s HIV/AIDS response by ensuring quicker and more accessible testing services for patients who require regular viral load monitoring.
