DOH Eyes More HIV Treatment Hubs in Region 9
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Dec. 14 (PNA) — The Department of Health (DOH) is eyeing to establish additional treatment hubs for persons living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) here in Region 9.
Dr. Joshua Brillantes, DOH assistant regional director, on Wednesday said that the opening of additional treatment hubs is to cope with the increasing number of HIV patients in the region.
At present, there is only one HIV treatment hub in the region. It is situated at the government-run Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC) in this city.
The existing treatment hub caters of HIV patients not only from Region 9 but also from the nearby provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, which are part of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
So far, there are 137 HIV patients that are under the care of the ZCMC treatment hub. They were among the 209 HIV-positive individuals the medical facility has recorded since 1996 until November 28, 2016.
The HIV patients that are under the care of the ZCMC treatment hub are treated with Antiretroviral (ARV) medicine, which the DOH provides for free.
The level of immunity of the HIV patients is also periodically being monitored.
Brillantes said the additional HIV treatment hubs can be established in DOH and local government-retained hospitals.
Aside from the ZCMC, the other DOH-retained hospitals in Region 9 included the following: Mindanao Central Sanitarium and Labuan Public Hospital in Zamboanga City; Margosatubig Regional Hospital in Zamboanga Sibugay; and, Dr. Jose Rizal Memorial Hospital in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte.
Basilan General Hospital and the Sulu Sanitarium are among the DOH-retained hospital in the nearby ARMM provinces.
Meanwhile, Clarisa Jose, DOH regional program coordinator for HIV, is encouraging even private-owned hospitals put up HIV treatment hub in their locality.
Jose said they can write a letter address to the DOH regional office so they can be guided as to the requirements in maintaining an HIV treatment hub.
Jose said so far the Dr. Jose Rizal Memorial Hospital and Margosatubig Regional Hospital have already expressed interest in opening an HIV treatment hub.
“There is already a need to add since one HIV treatment hub cannot sustain treatment of HIV patients in the region,” Jose added. (PNA)
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(Source: PNA.gov.ph)