The Tamil Nadu government has appointed a committee to consider introducing an Anti-Retro Viral (ARV) Therapy policy for all afflicted by HIV/AIDS. The committee is being headed by K Deenabandu, Director, Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society (TANSACS), and will examine the ramifications of introducing ARV treatment including the financial implications and mode of administering the therapy. Besides, it will also oversee installing of CD4 counters in all government hospitals and train medical professionals.
The committee has been set up in response to the demands made by the Indian Network of Positive Persons (INP+), the Tamil Nadu Network of Positive Persons (TNP+) and the Positive Network of Women (PWN+) for introducing ARV therapy to people with HIV/ AIDS free of cost at all government hospitals.
It is for the first time that the Tamil Nadu government is seriously considering the ARV therapy. Till now ARV drugs are not administered to patients though they are treated for opportunistic infections in government hospitals.
The Institute of Thoracic Medicine (ITM) is the only centre where AIDS patients are given ARV therapy. The therapy is in addition to the treatment for opportunistic infections. The ITM is the only such institute in south India, and perhaps in the country, where AIDS patients are treated both as outpatients and inpatients. ARV drugs are given to the patients along with Siddha drugs.