REPUBLIKA.CO.ID,KEDIRI — Mayor of Kediri Abdullah Abu Bakar invited the public to be willing to carry out early screening for HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), especially those with high risk, so that they can be handled more quickly.
“The public can consult through WPA (people who care about AIDS) in the kelurahan, later it will be facilitated further to fasyankes (health care facilities),” said Mayor of Kediri Abdullah Abu Bakar in Kediri, East Java, Wednesday (1/12) .
Commemorating World AIDS Day 2021, Mayor Abdullah also asked high-risk people not to be afraid to get checked out early. “Our target, the case HIV “In Kediri City, it can be detected early, the number of people undergoing treatment is commensurate, and the recovery rate is increasing,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Kediri City Health Office, Doctor Fauzan Adima, revealed that the Kediri City Government provided free HIV-AIDS and STI screening services at nine health centers and six hospitals spread across three sub-districts of the City of Kediri.
The service was created as a commitment of the Kediri City Government to reduce the risk of HIV/AIDS and STI transmission in the City of Kediri. The people of Kediri City, he continued, can access HIV and STI screening services for free at health facilities (faskes) through the Volunteer Counseling Test (VCT).
“In addition, several health facilities also have support care and treatment services (PDP) so that in addition to examination and counseling, positive patients will immediately receive medication. Such as the VCT Poly at Gambiran Hospital, Ahmad Dahlan Hospital, Pesantren 1 Public Health Center, Balowerti Health Center, and Public Health Center Campurejo,” said doctor Fauzan.
He added, apart from going through the VCT Poly, there are directly some polyclinics that will be continuous with the VCT Poly, for example, if you find a General Poly patient with symptoms suggestive of HIV, a TB patient, and a pregnant woman at the MCH Poly, they will be referred to the VCT Poly for examination. early.
He also added that the spirit and role of health facilities in synergizing with community social institutions (NGOs) who care about AIDS who approach key populations is considered quite good.
Meanwhile, the person in charge of HIV at the Pesantren 1 Public Health Center, Imam Ma’ruf, added that not only do they check and give medicine, they also synergize with AIDS care NGOs in Kediri City as a patient companion, able to reduce follow-up losses or patients who run away after being treated.
“There are NGOs and residents who care about AIDS as companions as well as friends to confide in so that patients are comfortable while undergoing treatment. Because these patients have to take medication for life, it is not uncommon for some cases to have loss follow-up and we are trying to continue to suppress these cases,” said Imam.
It also maintains the confidentiality of patient data, because it has become the commitment of puskesmas officers and assistants. “We are willing to keep the patient’s condition a secret, even if the patient’s family wishes until the person concerned dies. If it is estimated that approximately 99 percent of the cases we handle, the family does not know,” he said.
Data from the Health Office of the City of Kediri, in 2021 from January to October there were 160 cases of HIV findings in the City of Kediri. Whereas previously, until 2020 there were 219 cases of findings.
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