Nadeem Nadu
Srinagar/Jammu (GNS): Lieutenant Governer led administration on Friday sanctioned and designated two each Model Treatment Centres and State Referral Laboratories at Srinagar and Jammu under National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme.
An official communiqué in this regard, of which a copy lies with GNS, reads “In supersession of government orders, sanction is hereby accorded to the designation of Model Treatment Centres, State Referral Laboratories, District Treatment Centres & District Laboratories for implementation of National Viral Hepatitis Programme.”
The Model Treatment Centres and State Referral Laboratories one of each at Srinagar and Jammu, as per the communiqué, are to be setup at Department of Gastroenterology, GMC Jammu and the other at Department of Gastroenterology, GMC Srinagar.
Meanwhile the District Treatment Centres and District Laboratories will be setup in all twenty districts including District Hospital Srinagar (JLNM Hospital) Anantnag, Baramulla, Kulgam, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Budgam, Shopian, Kupwara, Pulwama, Jammu, Doda (Gandhi Nagar Jammu), Kathua, Rajouri, Samba, Udhampur, Kishtwar, Poonch, Reasi, Ramban, the communiqué reads.
Detailing out the Terms of Reference for Model Treatment Centres, the centres, as per the communiqué, will conduct Screening/ Diagnosis of suspected cases; Management of uncomplicated cases; Ensure that National guidelines and protocols are adhered to; Manage the complicated cases referred from treatment centres; Maintain the data base and ensure timely reporting; Undertake training and mentoring of the treatment centres in their NVHMU region ( as defined by and SVHPU) and Participate in operational research as per the progamme needs.
The State Referral Laboratory, as per the communiqué, shall function as State Referral Laboratory with existing available resources; Testing of the samples for viral hepatitis as per the prescribed guidelines for testing; Some of the state labs will be identified and their capacity strengthened to serological perform and NAT tests; Testing will be done of the samples received from the co-located treatment sites and other state and district laboratories; Ensuring a referral mechanism to the treatment centre; Storing of the plasma for viral load NAT; To develop a repository of panel members to be used for evaluation purpose; Follow a common plan, standard operating procedure (SOPs) and recording/ reporting forms for carrying out the activity; Shall ensure that all records pertaining to maintained as testing, equipment, manpower, facility etc are maintained as per the guidelines; Shall ensure quality management systems in pre-analytic, analytic and post analytic processes of testing; Shall follow the protocols on samples rejection as prescribed by CoE; Shall maintain minimum performance standards for the laboratory to be functional at all times; Participate in external quality assessment scheme (EQAS) mandated by CoE; Shall prepare its own IQC panel which will include weakly positive and negative controls; Shall monitor the lQC results regularly and levy- Jennings charts will be prepared and reviewed every month; Shall ensure that the samples for EQAS are sent to the designated laboratory in proper packaging, and controlled temperature and humidity conditions in cold chain as per the prescribed guidelines; Samples received at the testing laboratories will be stored in adherence to the protocols as specified in this programme guidelines; Shall follow the standardized testing algorithm and Training capacity besides building of the district labs.
For District Treatment Centres, the Terms of Reference, as per the communiqué, are Screening/Diagnosis of suspected cases; Management of uncomplicated cases; Ensure that National guidelines and protocols are adhered to; Referral of complicated cases to Model Treatment Centre and Maintain the data base and ensure timely reporting.
For District Laboratories, the Terms of Reference, as per the communiqué, are Sample collection and serological testing under the NVHCP; Molecular testing where ever feasible; Sample transportation for molecular testing at State Referral Laboratory; Shall ensure that all records pertaining to testing, equipment, manpower, facility etc. are maintained as per the guidelines; Samples received at the testing laboratories shall be stored in adherence to the protocols as specified in the programme guidelines; Shall follow the standardized testing algorithim and Training and capacity building of the district labs.
A copy of the communiqué has been sent to all relevant offices for due compliance. (GNS)
