- Four-day training program started at BMHRC to train ICTC counselors
Bhopal, A four-day training program was started at Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Center (BMHRC) to train counselors who provide information about testing, treatment etc. to HIV suspected and HIV positive patients in the government hospitals of the state. This program is being organized by Madhya Pradesh State AIDS Control Committee. 43 counselors participated in the training. Addressing the counselors present in the program, Dr. Tamonud Modak, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, AIIMS Bhopal, said that HIV is increasing among the people under the influence of drug addiction. This is happening due to reusing used syringes.
According to a survey by the National AIDS Control Authority in 2016, 9.5 percent of people suffering from AIDS got the disease due to used syringes, whereas four years ago this figure was only 4–5 percent. He asked the counselors to tell such patients about the ill effects of drugs. Prepare them to send them to a de-addiction center. Tell them about the benefits of a drug-free lifestyle. Be sympathetic to HIV patients. Treat them like a normal patient.
BMHRC Director Dr Manisha Srivastava said that HIV positive patients should talk openly about their disease. Many people with HIV suffer from depression and stress. Send them to a psychiatrist if needed. She said that BMHRC has been training state government employees since 2006 on prevention of blood related diseases. So far, the blood bank has organized 175 training camps to impart training to blood bank officers, nurses and paramedical staff on the functioning of the blood bank, in which 2990 people have been trained.
Dr. Ankita Patil, Deputy Director of Madhya Pradesh State AIDS Control Committee, said that every district hospital and civil hospital of Madhya Pradesh has an Integrated Counseling and Testing Center (ICTC), where counselors provide HIV counseling to the common people and also conduct testing as well.
This training camp is being organized so that the counselors can explain well to the people about the issues related to HIV and provide correct information. In the training, refresher training is being given on various aspects related to HIV.
