Mumbai:When it comes to patient care, private hospitals score over their government and civic-run counterparts. But surprisingly, some well-known private hospitals in the western suburbs have shown reluctance to have HIV/Aids assistance counters within their premises, "fearing" loss of clientele.

The Mumbai District Aids Control Society (MDACS), in association with Avert Society, has been approaching major private and corporate hospitals in the city to start 24 integrated counselling and testing centres (ICTCs). The centres would offer HIV/Aids tests at subsidised rates (as applicable in government hospitals) and provide pre- and post-HIV test counselling.

Members of Avert Society said that private hospitals, like the Holy Family, Bandra, Holy Spirit, Andheri, had not responded to their request to start counselling centres for the past four months. "They are apprehensive that patients might not be very comfortable about the idea of having such centres in the heart of the hospital," said an official coordinating with the hospitals. However, hospitals like Saifee, Navjeevan and few others have readily agreed to start such centres.

Anna Joy, project director of Avert Society, felt that the hospitals could be reluctant to put their HIV testing facilities in public view. "Since most of the hospitals do HIV testing in any case, we fail to understand what else could be the problem," she said. "It is also a fact that 50% of the population prefer private hospitals to government ones. We cannot afford to leave such a huge section of the population out of our purview. So, we have been pursuing these hospitals since April, trying to make it work."

When contacted, additional project director of MDACS Dr Harish Pathak confirmed the news. He added that couple of other big hospitals were also not very cooperative about such centres. "We are trying to convince them," he said, refusing to name the hospitals.

Pathak said that MDACS had also approached Breach Candy hospital for the partnership, but there was not much progress. This was denied by General Vijay Krishna of Breach Candy. "We have not received any correspondence from them," he said, adding that the hospital has every facility to test HIV/Aids.

The MDACS will supply testing kits, consumables and also train staff from the private hospitals to man the counselling and testing centres. "We want that nominal and standardised HIV testing should be accessible to even those frequenting the private hospitals," said Pathak

Authorities of Holy Family Hospital, Bandra, insisted that they were very much in favour of having a centre. "The delay in replying could be because we are working on our own concept of such centres," said Dr K G Nair, medical director.

Meanwhile, medical director of Holy Spirit Hospital, Andheri said they already had their own counselling centre in the hospital. "We have a centre and there is no point in duplicating it."
Source : DNA