Vadodara: Concerned over increasing number of HIV patients leaving ART therapy mid-way, SSG Hospital's Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre (ICTC) has launched an initiative to educate the patients on ways to sustain the heavy dose of medicines administered.
While the inability to sustain the side-effects of the medicine is a major reason among the patients, doctors believe that the travel to the only ART center in the region at SSG Hospital is also a challenge for many patients.
"Many patients who come into the city from the surrounding areas are from the lower-income group. They lack the nutrition level required to sustain the treatment and a majority of the patients were unable to endure ART. The side-effects of the strong doses, such as vomiting and fatigue, affect them more than those who are healthy," said one of the counsellors at the ICTC, citing a cause of patients being lost to follow-up.
The ART is a long-term treatment and many times patients lose the patience to let the therapy work. In the initial few months, there is no symptomatic relief. Therefore most cases that are lost to follow-up are during these initial months," Dr Kedar Mehta, said researcher .
The counselling sessions also include the family members of the patients in an attempt to minimize the stigma which experts believe still remain the major challenge for the treatment of the viral infection.
Mehta added that stigmatisation of HIV/AIDS patients also cause many patients to stop their treatment. "Many HIV positive patients hide their illness from relatives. As a result they do not take the regular medicines to avoid the questions," Mehta told TOI.
According to previous studies conducted at the ART centre of the hospital, each year 19 per cent of the patients go missing after the first few sessions, leaving the treatment half way.
While the inability to sustain the side-effects of the medicine is a major reason among the patients, doctors believe that the travel to the only ART center in the region at SSG Hospital is also a challenge for many patients.
"Many patients who come into the city from the surrounding areas are from the lower-income group. They lack the nutrition level required to sustain the treatment and a majority of the patients were unable to endure ART. The side-effects of the strong doses, such as vomiting and fatigue, affect them more than those who are healthy," said one of the counsellors at the ICTC, citing a cause of patients being lost to follow-up.
The ART is a long-term treatment and many times patients lose the patience to let the therapy work. In the initial few months, there is no symptomatic relief. Therefore most cases that are lost to follow-up are during these initial months," Dr Kedar Mehta, said researcher .
The counselling sessions also include the family members of the patients in an attempt to minimize the stigma which experts believe still remain the major challenge for the treatment of the viral infection.
Mehta added that stigmatisation of HIV/AIDS patients also cause many patients to stop their treatment. "Many HIV positive patients hide their illness from relatives. As a result they do not take the regular medicines to avoid the questions," Mehta told TOI.
According to previous studies conducted at the ART centre of the hospital, each year 19 per cent of the patients go missing after the first few sessions, leaving the treatment half way.
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