Basic Service Division (BSD)
What is Integrated and Counselling Testing Centre
An integrated counseling and testing center is a place where a person is counseled and tested for HIV, on his own free will or as advised by medical provider and convinced that the test is mandatory.
He / She is assured that the process will be confidential.
The main functions of an ICTC include:
- Early detection of HIV
- Provision of basic information on modes of transmission and prevention of HIV/AIDS for promoting behavioral change and reducing vulnerability
- Link positive people with other HIV prevention, care and treatment services
- Follow up counselling
- Prevention of Parent to Child Transmission (PPTCT)
- Cross referrals – TB/STI/ART/TI-NGO/DIC/CCC etc.
About ICTCs – Vatsayan Kendra & Mamta Clinic (VK&MC)
- Vatsayan Kendra & Mamta Clinic (ICTC) provides people access to knowledge of their HIV status and is a key entry point to prevention of HIV infection and to care for infected people.
- It helps in reducing the risk behavior and promotes safe sex along modification of behavior.
- ICTC supports people to understand the implications of their sero-status.
- Learn about prevention of HIV infection for self, child or others.
- Learn to cope with the psychological and social impact of HIV, and make more informed choices for future.
Blood Transfusion Services (BTS)
Goal
To make adequate and safe blood available in all parts of Ahmedabad City.
Objective
- To establish a very strong network of blood banks in the state, so that every person who needs blood can get universally equitable, affordable, safe and quality blood and blood component in a time bound manner to ensure optimal health outcomes and further improvement in health indicators in the state.
- Promotion of voluntary blood donation.
- To ensure reduction of transfusion transmitted HIV infection to less than 0.05%
- Support blood storage centres/ reorganize blood transfusion services in the remote areas.
In Ahmedabad, the availability of blood is ensured through a network of licensed functional blood banks. Similarly in remote areas where limited blood requirement does not justify establishing blood banks, Govt. of Ahmedabad supports the establishment of storage centres.
Ahmedabad is doing well both in the terms of total blood collection as well as blood collection from voluntary blood donors. Ahmedabad is one of the leading states in the country in terms of total collection of blood units against the requirements (WHO norms) i.e. per capita blood donation is 1.45%.
During the NACP IV time period, state aims to reduce transmission of HIV infection through blood and blood products by reducing the sero-reactivity rates among blood donors. Blood transfusion is one of the established routes of HIV transmission. For this reason, Blood Transfusion Services is an integral component of the activities of the Ahmedabad State AIDS Control Society (GSACS). Mandatory tests of HIV, HBV, HCV, VDRL and Malaria are done for all collected blood units by all the blood banks to provide the safe blood to the patients.
Efforts will be made to make available safe blood and blood products to all those who need it at the right time, quantity, quality and place, especially at emergency obstetric centers, trauma centers and surgical units and in remote and rural areas by enhancing the annual blood collection specially voluntary collection.
The State will continue to maintain a high proportion of voluntary blood collection with a target to achieve voluntary blood collection as 90% in current year. The focus must be on promotion of repeat voluntary blood donation, as the same is safest in terms of transfusion transmitted infections (TTIs) and other blood transfusion related complications.
