LUDHIANA: After working on the oral substitution therapy, the National Aids Control Organization (NACO) will set up a community care centre for HIV patients in the city, the third such in the state.

According to information, two community care centres for HIV patients are already functioning in Patiala and Amritsar, respectively.

Talking to TOI on Saturday, an official of the health department said, “The project will be in joint collaboration with Red Cross as it has received grants of Rs 21.5 lakh for the project. The centre will include 10 beds for HIV patients.”

He said the centre would motivate chronic patients whose families fail to support them in terms of treatment, besides giving them adequate diet.

The official said work had already kicked off and the community care centre would open in the Red Cross building near Civil Hospital. He said a doctor, counsellor, three nurses, four outreach health workers, one part-time lab technician, along with a project coordinator and dietician had been appointed for the job.

Notably, NACO is working on the oral substitution therapy for intravenous drug users so as to control incidence of HIV and for this, work on opening the drug addiction centre is going on.

Dr Geetika Kansal, district aids programme officer said the move had been taken under NACO phase III and was aimed at chronic patients, who could not afford treatment.

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