Diagnostic Lab in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

www.aidssocietyofindia.com

With over a decade of experience in managing patients at the Government-run, J.J.Hospital, handling crucial public health issues and creating awareness on health-seeking behaviour, Secretary General of the Peoples Health Organisation(India){formerly Indian Health Organisation} and specialist in Skin, Sexually Transmitted Diseases& HIV/AIDS, Dr.I.S.Gilada, has established a clinical setting on 5th February 1995 incomparable elsewhere.

UNISON Medicare Polyclinic & Diagnostic Centre is India’s first comprehensive health center for the humane and holistic care of patients without discrimination, irrespective of their diseases. Unison means “Apt” or “Fit”! Since July 2004, it is an ISO 9001-2000 Certified Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Care Centre, the first such clinic in India.

UNISON Medicare provides the cost-efficient and ethical medical care; commensurate with our philosophy: “Patient is God and caring patient is worship!” especially when the medical profession has moved from nobility to commercialization. Apart from accuracy in diagnosing illnesses UNISON provides optimum outcome to any patient including that of HIV/AIDS as they too have the right to live and die with honour and dignity.

Location
UNISON MEDICARE is a hygienically maintained spacious center with well equipped Consulting rooms, Laboratory, Radiology unit, centrally and conveniently located near the medical paradise’ of the City, close to Grant Road station with adequate parking facility. To keep abreast the quest for better communication, we have PABX system with three incoming lines connecting to 12 extensions, Fax, Modem, Voice Mail and E-Mail facilities.

Management
UNISON Medicare is managed by a professional team of Doctors and staff from several disciplines and has collaboration with reputed international institutes and experts for technical back up, sharing and collaboration.
The Board of Directors
Chairman: Mr. Ramesh Chokhani
Managing Director: Dr.I.S.Gilada

Reception & Waiting Area
To provide a pleasant reception and to comfort the patients and their relatives we have a large fully A/C waiting area, with variety of reading material, television, video-film viewing facility and close circuit Music system.

Counseling services
We have a qualified and experienced counselor to deal with the patient’s psychological needs with utmost sensitivity. This is one of the few clinics in India to take care of medical, social and emotional needs of people with HIV/AIDS through pre and post-HIV test counseling; terminator counseling. We specialize in premarital counseling for medico-socially compatible and lasting marriages and marriage counseling to enrich interpersonal relationship as a yardstick of healthy married life.

Laboratory Services
UNISON laboratory is well equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and has qualified and hard-working staff. We have two full time technicians; one part-time Technologist specially for running Viral Load and PCR. We use only internationally approved testing kits and never compromise on quality. We have facilities for HIV-1 and HIV-2 tests by latest techniques using the best, automated and computerized equipments. We also provide tests like Western Blot, CD4/CD8 (immune system), Viral Load, HIV DNA PCR by Roche Amplicor Monitor and other blood tests – all as in-house facility. We are often entrusted with the task of assessing the reliability of the newly introduced kits, as we are known for accurate reporting and follow Good Laboratory Practice (GLP).

Our laboratory is known for perfection and time-tested technology, quickest and reliable results at affordable cost, without compromising on quality.


Radiology
Our X-ray section has facilities for routine X-rays from 10 am to 6 pm by a qualified Radiology Technician and reporting by a qualified radiologist. We also have USG facility where patients requiring their ultra-sonography done can do so, daily at a fixed time. Dr. Sachin Deshmukh, MD in Radiology and having excellent experience in Teaching, USG and research is attached with the clinic as visiting Radiologist is on call for all the working days during the week.

Medicinal Facilities:
We have an in-house medicinal facility where patients can get medicines ranging from multivitamins, antibiotics, medicines for ‘opportunistic infections’ like TB, diarrhea, etc., to medicines used in anti-retroviral therapy (protease inhibitors & nucleoside & non-nucleoside reverse transcriplase inhibitors). We ensure that the patient gets his/her medicines from the clinic itself and that too at heavily discounted prices. Also the patient does not have to search number of medical stores for the prescribed medicines where he/she is apprehensive of being identified as a HIV+ person. Hence, the patient is able to avail of the doctor’s services, counseling, testing and medicines – all under one roof, in a ‘One-Stop-Shop’ approach!

Infection control
To achieve optimal infection control we use ‘Monovettes’ and Vaccutainers – the sophisticated and proven system of collecting blood, urine, stool, sputum and the likes. Needles are cut and syringes are sent for incineration through an approved agency at regular intervals. That’s our system of disposal, to avoid their recycling by unscrupulous elements. We have in-house sterilization facility and even disposables are sterilized before their final disposal.

Hospital-based Care
We arrange and supervise hospital care for patients in special needs as per their affordability. We provide professional and medico-legal guidance on sensitive health matters to hospitals, nursing homes, laboratories, blood banks, industries, business sector and diplomats. In peculiar circumstances like HIV/AIDS, the Doctors can refer patients to UNISON to share the responsibility.

Home-based Care
To reduce the growing pressure on the hospitals and costs, we have an innovative and cost-effective way of managing patients through our Home-based Care approach, which provides patients an opportunity to be amidst their beloved ones, at their own homes. If required, we do send our representative to patient’s home and train his/her relatives.

Research & Training
UNISON undertakes Applied Research projects on patient care and survival, communicable diseases including STDs and HIV/AIDS and Sexual Health. We run a Training Centre of International standard to train medical and paramedical personnel from India and abroad emphasizing ‘hands-on training’ and ‘training of trainers’.

Pre-employment Checks
UNISON Medicare provides excellent pre-employment, intra-employment and pre-immigration medical check-ups.

Pre-Marriage Health Checks
Unison Medicare provides excellent pre-marriage health check and counseling at affordable cost and has been propagating this concept to avoid complications in married life in addition to prevent sexually transmitted and hereditarily transmitted disorders. We encourage positive-positive alliances and have even assisted in few marriages.

Over the years, Unison Medicare has developed an expertise in ‘managing HIV/AIDS patients in resource-poor settings’. This has resulted in replication of the Unison model in India and in some countries of Africa to some extent. While several medical and even high profile delegations from Africa and other developing countries visited Unison for orientation, Dr. Gilada has been carrying out training programs in several countries of Africa. UNISON Medicare is open for suggestions, comments and criticism. It believes in a philosophy, “All good things have to change for the better!” We invite our patients and their family members to help improve our services and make a lasting impact in the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS.

Dr. Gilada has been a recipient of prestigious Dr. Annemarie Madison International AIDS Award 2000 at Germany.

He is also recipient of "Outstanding Young Person in the World at Glasgow, UK in 1995

He has a total of 60 awards to his credit.

He has more than 165 papers/publcations to his credit, several of which have been based on work at Unison Medicare.

Hon. Secretary since 1982 and Director AIDS Projects since July 1990 - Peoples Health Organisation (India)
Secretary General: AIDS Society of India since Nov. 2003
Editor-in-Chief, AIDS ASIA –Bimonthly Newsletter, since 1993
Joint Secretary, National AIDS Committee, Govt. of India 1995-97

UNISON MEDICARE & RESEARCH CENTRE PVT. LTD.

ISO 9001-2000 Certified Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Care Centre

This is India's first Comprehensive HIV care clinic in a private set-up