Jaipur: Looking to an increase in the prevalence of HIV in state, the government is planning to conduct HIV screening tests on a large scale but with the consent of test takers. The facility will now be made available in the remotest primary health centres (PHCs) of state. Earlier, the health authorities were targeting only high risk groups for the test. But now even the common population will be brought in its ambit and free HIV card test will be made available in the remotest PHCs in state. The HIV test, apart from 14 other tests, will be provided free-of-cost at all PHCs from April 15 under the chief minister free diagnostic test scheme phase III. The test is already free at district hospitals and community health centres (CHCs). According to the recently-released HIV Sentinel Surveillance (HSS), the prevalence of HIV in state increased from 0.19% in 2008-09 to 0.38 in 2011-12. Rajasthan is a low prevalence state but is highly vulnerable due to the presence of high risk groups including female sex workers, injectable drug users, truckers and labourers. Rajasthan State AIDS Control Society (RSACS) project director Dr SS Chauhan said, “Earlier, National Aids Control Organization (NACO) and RSACS provided free test to high risk groups only. Lab technicians boycott work Jaipur: Demanding hike in salaries, lab technicians boycotted their work on Wednesday, which partially crippled health services in the state. The boycott of work by lab technicians made an adverse impact on chief minister’s free diagnostic test scheme launched recently in all the health centres and hospitals. However, the health department claimed that the boycott of work by lab technicians did not affect healthcare facilities. Sawai Man Singh hospital claimed that out of the total 108 lab technicians at central lab, microbiology test lab, biochemistry lab, blood bank and out patient department, 62 were on duty. An SMS hospital official said that they also took the help of the paramedical staff to minimize the impact of lab technician’s strike. A hospital official said that on Wednesday 6,284 patients were registered at the outpatient department which was less than the patients who came to the OPD on Monday. He said that even though the number of patients on Wednesday were less in number compared to Monday’s registered patients, despite lab technicians strike on Wednesday, the number of diagnostic tests conducted was more than the number of tests conducted on Monday.