Jammu Kashmir AIDS Control Society (JKACS) and the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Soura, Srinagar, have recently entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
This MoU establishes the provision of free HIV viral load testing for People Living with HIV (PLHIV) at SKIMS, Soura, Srinagar, using the available testing capacity of COBAS RT-PCR equipment in the Department of Microbiology.
Previously, PLHIV samples had to be sent to Chandigarh for viral load testing. The in-house testing at SKIMS, Soura, Srinagar will significantly reduce the time it takes to report results, enabling clinicians to offer timely treatment to PLHIV.
A similar MoU had been signed between JKACS and GMC, Jammu a few days earlier. With this new agreement with SKIMS, the people of Jammu Kashmir will benefit greatly as they now have access to this facility in their region, saving time, effort, and expenses.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Professor Parvaiz A Koul, Director of SKIMS and Ex–Office Secretary to the Government, Dr. Tabassum Jabeen, Director of Family Welfare for J&K, Dr. Manu Bhatnagar, Additional Director of JK AIDS Control Society, H&ME Department, and Dr. Bashir Ahmad, Head of the Department of Microbiology at SKIMS, along with relevant officers from the Department of Microbiology, SKIMS, and JK AIDS Control Society.