Imphal, November 04 2008: ROLL-OUT of the second line ART drug to the HIV-positive people of the state are likely to commence from December 1 next, on the occasion of "The World AIDS Day", official source said Tuesday.

Even though second line ART drug had already arrived in the state, the same could not be roll out to the HIV-positive of the state as there is no Viral Load Testing Centre in Manipur.

A high level meeting of the nodal officers of eight centre of excellence working in the field of HIV/AIDS and nodal officers of the linked labs for viral loading testing held on October 31 last at New Delhi in which state nodal officers also attended has discussed on the administration of the second line ART to the HIV/AIDS patients in the state, the source said.

Prior to this national level meeting another round of meeting of the nodal officers of the state was held in Imphal on October 24 last.

The meeting minutely discussed about the preparation of launching the second line ARV drugs in Manipur, the source added.

Dr Kh Pramodkumar, project director (technical) MACS,dr M Kulachadra, nodal officer, COE, ART, RIMS, Abhiram Mongjam, joint director (TI), MACS and Sana Meitram, state co-ordinator, Clinton Foundation were among the delegates who attended the meeting.

The meeting discussed on the existing laboratory facilities in the state for launching the second line ARV drugs as per the NACO guidelines testing for virology load of the patient before starting the second line mandatory.

Considering the non-availability of the facility for virology testing, which is necessary to be done within four hours after taking blood as per NACO guidelines, the meeting has decided to request the NACO to provide DNA_PCR machine on priority basis and to process MACS to give permission to "out sourcing" some outside agencies such as RANBAXY, RELIANCE, etc.

till DNA-PCR is installed, the source said.

It also further decided to ask ART centres of the state to prepare list of possible number patients who are likely to be eligible for second line ART and submit the same to the concern authority, the source said.

Meanwhile, Dr Kullachandra who attended an orientation meeting of all the nodal officers of 10 COE at NACO, New Delhi said will also participate in the training for second line ARV drugs in Bankok which would commence from November 17 to 22 coming.

The traning programme will also attend 17 nodal officers from different states of the country.

In Manipur HIV-positive people are getting the facilities of first line ART.

But some of them who are administering the first line for a prolong period of time needed the second line ART.

State government had also in many occasions announced of availing the benefits to the patients but the same could not be converted into work till date.

It is pertinent to mention that in Manipur there have approximately 50 to 60 HIV patients who needed second line ARV drug administration.

Among them some of them are using the drug with their own expenses.

Till now, Chennai's Tambaram ART centre had provided ARV drug for second line ART treatment for as many as 20 patients.

The National AIDS Control Board (NACB) started dispensing second-line ART (antiretroviral therapy) drugs free to HIV patients in designated medical centres in Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Kolkata, from September this year.

Only 110 HIV-positive people are currently on second-line ART.

Hospitals providing the treatment include Maulana Azad Medical College (Delhi), B J Medical College (Ahmedabad), Gandhi Hospital (Hyderabad) and the School of Tropical Medicine (Kolkata).

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