The ICTCs provide free HIV testing facilities and counselling for the HIV infected. Hospitals like Safiee hospital in Churni Road and other small maternity homes and hospitals in Malad, Goregaon, Mulund and Mahim have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Mumbai District Aids Control Society (MDACS), apart from five Family Health International’s Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) clinics and two Population Service International clinics.

The MDACS had invited proposals from private hospitals, clinics, maternity homes and even private laboratories to start ICTC centres on their premises like other district societies in the country under the National Aids Control Organisation (NACO). “The idea is to practise uniform testing methods across the medical institutions, both public and private. This will not stop private clients to opt for a more expensive test — the PCR test that costs approximately Rs 2,000,” said Dr Ruchi Chiplunkar, the joint director of Mumbai District Aids Control Society (MDACS).

“The NACO will provide free rapid test kits for the ICTCs coming up at private hospitals and will also provide necessary training to their technicians and counsellors,” said Dr Chiplunkar. “NACO is not looking at private hospitals now, especially big hospitals; in fact it has set criteria like those maternity homes conducting more than 50 deliveries, only those hospitals or clinics treating more than 100 tuberculosis patients a month or 100 patients with sexually-transmitted diseases a month. Also those laboratories performing more than 150 HIV tests a month. The middle and upper middle class population is our target.”

The NACO decided to open ICTC centres at maternity homes and hospitals where deliveries are conducted as nearly 35 per cent of mothers delivering in the state approach private hospital for healthcare. This is to curb the mother-to-child transmission. “At present, there is no data on the general masses opting for HIV testing in private hospitals in Mumbai,” she said.

Dr Chiplunkar, however, said they have asked NACO on the insistence of the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Socities of India (FOGSI) to relax the criteria as many maternity homes with less than 30 deliveries a month have expressed their interest to start ICTC centres.