GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- The city government unveiled over the weekend an enhanced treatment hub for people living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS).
Dubbed "Rainbow Center for Revitalization", the facility was formally inaugurated at the local government-run Dr. Jorge P. Royeca Hospital compound on Saturday (Dec. 1) in line with the celebration of the World AIDS Day.
Jeffrey Causing, center manager, said the treatment hub is equipped with complete facilities for the proper handling of HIV/AIDS cases.
He said it has counseling and treatment rooms for patients, an area for the conduct of HIV screening or test and laboratory.
“It will mainly provide primary care treatment for HIV/AIDS patients,” Causing said in an interview with reporters.
He said the facility, which will be fully operational early next year, has the capability to manage patients suffering from opportunistic infections or diseases related to HIV/AIDS.
Aside from this, he said it will also cater to patients with sexually-transmitted diseases and related illnesses.
Dr. Rochelle Oco, City Health Office (CHO) chief, said the establishment of the center is part of the city government’s efforts to properly manage patients and eventually end disease transmission in the area.
She said City Mayor Ronnel Rivera signed last Nov. 27 the Fast Track 2030 declaration, which is a commitment to end HIV/AIDS by 2030.
Rivera was the 19th mayor in the entire country who signed the declaration, she said.
“General Santos, being the home of the champions, is now a champion for health and in ending this epidemic," she said.
Dr. Mely Lastimoso, coordinator of the City Health Office’s (CHO) Social Hygiene Clinic, said the operationalization of the facility will mainly boost the city’s continuing campaigns against the spread of HIV/AIDS.
The city government currently provides free screening and treatment services through the clinic, which is accredited by the Department of Health (DOH) as a satellite treatment hub.
She said the clinic handles some 224 HIV/AIDS patients out of the more 600 from the area that were documented by the DOH.
Some of these patients are getting antiretroviral drug treatment in Davao City, Manila and at the South Cotabato HIV/AIDS Core Team Clinic in Koronadal City.
Citing their records, Lastimoso said they already detected a total of 130 new HIV cases in the city from January to November, which increased by 17 from 113 in the same period last year.
“We actually one positive case here in GenSan every three days,” she noted.
Lastimoso said at least 15 people have died this year due to complications triggered by advanced stages of AIDS.
Since 1997, CHO already recorded a total of 94 deaths in the city due to the viral disease. (PNA)
