Introduction
IAPRO was established in 1995 with a group of dedicated health care providers, including prominent NGO personalities from across Andhra Pradesh (AP), when the HIV/AIDS crisis warranted action instead of dialogue. When stigma and discriminations were at its peak, IAPRO took the initiative under the leadership of Dr. Ranjith. Dr. Ranjith received his medical degree from Kakatiya Medical College (KMC) and earned his HIV/AIDS Clinical Management certification from Northwestern University under the training of John P.Phair, MD, Director of the Comprehensive AIDS Center. Soon the community accepted the services with confidence and the number of PLWHAs (People Living With HIV/Aids) accessing the center increased exponentially. In addition, patients from neighboring states started attending.
IAPRO then established an inpatient facility with both basic and advanced life support services. The facility quickly increased as a large number of patients were denied medical and surgical emergencies in the government run institutions (which sadly still prevails in the state). IAPRO again instilled confidence and faith in the system among the PLWHA community and delivered service 24 hours a day and 365 days in the year.
The vast infrastructure, including wards, Operation Theater, lab, consulting and counseling rooms, quarters for nurses and duty doctors that is needed is expanding--especially when there is so much need for such kind of establishments. IAPRO is the ONLY center established and run by qualified and specially trained physicians in HIV care
