Chandigarh, March 26 : The Haryana Health Department has approved the establishment of an HIV viral load testing laboratory at Civil Hospital in Panchkula, near here.

With this, Haryana will have its second dedicated facility, the first being located in Rohtak.

The was informed by Additional Chief Secretary (Health and Family Welfare, Sumita Misra, who said the laboratory has been approved at an annual cost of Rs 1.65 crore, based on an estimated workload of approximately 15,000 HIV viral load tests per year.

In a cost-efficient move, the new laboratory will be set up by utilising the existing Covid-19 molecular testing infrastructure already in place at the Civil Hospital along with the procurement of additional equipment specific to HIV viral load testing.

This approach ensures that the facility can be made operational quickly, without the need for constructing an entirely new setup.

The project was developed on the basis of inputs provided by the Haryana State AIDS Control Society (HSACS), while the technical evaluation was independently conducted by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) -- the apex body governing HIV/AIDS response in the country.

The cost per HIV viral load test has been set at Rs 1,100, in line with national guidelines.

Notably, the entire expenditure for setting up and operating the testing facility will be funded by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), with no financial liability falling on the state government.

This makes the initiative both fiscally prudent and replicable -- a model that other states could adopt to expand HIV diagnostic capacity without straining their own budgets, Misra added.

For HIV-positive individuals, regular viral load testing is not optional -- it is essential. These tests help doctors determine whether antiretroviral therapy (ART) is working effectively, detect treatment failure early, and prevent the virus from developing drug resistance. Without timely access to viral load testing, patients face delayed interventions and poorer health outcomes.

Currently, samples from all districts of Haryana are sent to PGIMS Rohtak. This new laboratory will significantly decrease time for testing and will result in better monitoring of HIV positive patients.

/IANS