Centre of Excellence (CoE) in HIV care, PGIMER organised the PGI HIV Update-2024 today
Nearly 250 delegates from the region participated in the CME. Professor RK Ratho, Sub-Dean (Research), PGIMER was the chief guest who delivered the inaugural address . He advised that such programs need to be conducted more frequently for increasing the knowledge of healthcare professions and updating them about recent advances in HIV management. Professor, Sanjay Jain, Head, Department of Internal Medicine and Professor Subhash Varma, Ex-Head of Internal Medicine, and Ex-Dean, PGIMER were the Guests of Honour and provided their valuable wisdom and insights regarding management of HIV. In his welcome address, Professor Aman Sharma, Program Director, CoE in HIV care, informed that ART is being provided at PGI since 1993 while ART clinic started in 2005 and CoE services started in 2008.
The highlights of various sessions included sensitisation about role of post exposure prophylaxis in preventing transmission in health care professionals by Prof Aman Sharma, details of ART initiation and discussion on HIV act by Dr Shankar Naidu,Deputy Program Director of CoE, , Follow up of patients initiated on ART and prevention of parent to child transmission by Dr Ravinder Kaur, SMO ART Centre, treating children with HIV by Prof Deepti Suri, testing strategies by Dr Mahender from Department of histopathology. Dr. Balram Gupta, Director (Academics), Chandigarh Judicial Academy provided his valuable insights regarding the HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Act 2017. The other faculty who participated in deliberations were Prof Bhavneet Bharti, Director Principal AIMS Mohali, Prof Vanita Jain, HOD Gynae PGIMER and Prof Susmita Sharma HOD Gynae AIMS, Mohali, Prof Arun Bansal, Paediatrics, APC, PGIMER, Chandigarh. Prof Navneet Sharma and Prof Ashish Bhalla, Department of Internal Medicine, PGIMER, Prof Sanjay Decruz and Prof SS lehal, Department of Medicine, GMCH, Sec 32 , Chandigarh and Prof Sunil Arora. There was active participation from residents of Internal Medicine, Gyaecology ,pathology, paediatrics and nursing. Dr. Shankar Naidu, Deputy Program Director, CoE, delivered the vote of thanks.