The NGO Helping Hand Foundation that is helping a 14-year-old combat HIV has alleged that the Osmania General Hospital does not have adequate viral testing kits.
The NGO said the Microbiology Department in the hospital is running without adequate kits to test for HIV, hepatitis C, hepatitis B and kit for inflammation marker called CRP.
According to the civil society organisation, the hospital’s staff admitted that kits have been unavailable for over a month now and patients are being forced to avail the tests at private labs and pay for it.
The foundation’s Mujtaba Hasan Askari said the unavailability of the kits came to light when the 14-year-old was scheduled to undergo several tests at the hospital to be declared fit for starting HIV ART therapy.
