Location of the Department

5^th Floor, C-Wing

New OPD Building

VMMC & Safdarjang Hospital, New Delhi

Established in -       1956  

The department is functioning as the Regional STD Teaching, Training & Research Centre, Govt. of India. The Centre gives direct support to the public health programmes of immense importance i.e. National STD Control Programme and National AIDS Control Programme through Delhi State AIDS Control Society (DSACS). It has been recognized as Apex Centre for STIs by NACO in 2009.

The Centre consists of four sections: -

1.    Integrated Counselling & Testing Centre (ICTC).

2.     Male and Female STD Clinics.

3.    Regional STD Reference Laboratory giving laboratory support to all the above.

4.    Survey cum Epidemiological unit.

The functions of the Centre are as under: -

1.    Clinical and laboratory diagnosis of all STIs & HIV cases.

2.    Treatment of STD/STI  patients.

3.    Epidemiological studies in the field.

4.     Research.

5.    Teaching & Training.

STD Specialists and Microbiologists are jointly carrying out all the above functions.

STD Screening.

The STD patients and other clinic attendees get the facilities of routine STD clinical checkup, laboratory diagnostic tests for all STIs and HIV/AIDS. Management of the patients is aetiology based.

Integrated Counseling cum Testing Centre (ICTC) of NACO/DSACS

The ICTC  of NACO, has been established under the STD Centre for pre- and post- test counselling of patients for HIV testing, mainly with the active support of the STD laboratory in HIV testing, both screening and confirmatory.  CD₄ counts  in HIV+ patients are also being performed.

HIVCounseling:-

The Counseling Centre with Male and Female Counselors, is providing pre and post test counselling to patients undergoing HIV test after  informed consent.

HIV testing:-

HIV testing is carried out regularly. Besides, voluntary patients are provided on the spot rapid HIV testing and reporting. The laboratory is also functioning as the HIV testing laboratory for PPTCT project of NACO (Prevention of Parent to Child Transmission),  and as the State Reference Laboratory (SRL) for  46 ICTCs & Blood Bank centres under it.

STI Diagnostic work

The Centre has laboratory diagnostic facilities for diagnosis of all STDs/STIs like Syphilis (screening and confirmation), Chancroid (smear and culture), Herpes genitalis (smear and ELISA), Donovanosis (smear), Gonorrhoea (smear, culture and antibiotic sensitivity,) ,Chlamydial infections ( Ag and Ab Detection ELISA), Trichomoniasis (smear and culture), Candidiasis (smear,culture and antifungal susceptibility), Bacterial Vaginosis (smear, pH test,amine test), HIV, HBsAg, HCV, -all by ELISA or rapid tests. The patients are offered treatment based on aetiological diagnosis.  

The Centre is also the WHO Regional Reference Laboratory for South East Asia Region for Gonococcal Antimicrobial Susceptibility Programme (GASP).

AntiRetroviral treatment (ART) – Under Dept. ofMedicine.

The centre’s laboratory offers regular CD₄ count facility for all the patients registered at ART Clinic.

Followup of STD and HIV/AIDS Patients

i) STD patients are provided test of cure by culture and serology at the STI lab.

ii) HIV seropositive and AIDS cases are monitored byCD₄/CD₈count by Flow  cytometry “FACS count system”. Diagnosis of the opportunistic infections are also provided.

Epidemiological Work

i)             Partner notification for clinic patients :-at present done by the STI counselors.

ii)            The STD Mobile Team (including a medical officer, staff nurse, technician and nursing attendant) visits peripheral dispensaries, three days a week,  for surveillance of STD/HIV/AIDS for management and control of STDs.

iii)           Sentinel Surveillance-The department has been playing an active role in the nationwide Annual Sentinel Surveillance of NACO(STD&ANC) every year till 2009 when NACO ended the programme.

(As on 15.3.12)