LAB SERVICES DIVISION

The DAPCUs (District AIDS Prevention and Control Units) have proven to be an effective structural intervention, which resulted in the provision of programmatic oversight at the ground level and a strong response to the emerging needs towards epidemic control. Programmatic data from the last few years suggests that districts that have DAPCUs tend to perform well in comparison to non- DAPCU districts and there is a decline in new HIV infections and AIDS related deaths.

These are two State Reference Laboratory working in PMCH, Patna and SKMCH, Muzaffarpur under the Lab Service Division of Bihar State AIDS Control Society. One Technical Officer and One Lab Technician are posted in each SRL. They organize EQAS workshop training in a year in which all the ICTcs Lab. Tech. get training regarding testing for HIV & Syphilis.

The main function of SRL is to maintain quality of testing by “Retesting “ and “Proficiency testing”.

The “Lab Service Division” also runs a viral load lab in PMCH Patna. One Technical Officer & one Laboratory Technician is posted in this viral load Lab. It does viral load testing of samples of PLHIV brought by Lab. Technician of ART centers working in Bihar. By this the treatment regimen PLHIV can be monitored.