Re: Qualifications for Physicians Who Care for Patients with HIV Infection

[Guest guest]

Dear Ratti and others,

I fully agree with you that we need some kind of specialization in HIV

medicine either as a MD or diploma. The question to be asked is, if

someone close to us is diagnosed with HIV, are we prepared to get him

treated from GP or we would like specialist to treat him? Answer to me

is obviously a specialist. So we need to push at the highest level to

start an post-graduate course in HIV medicine, or at least, some kind

of intensive practical training.

At present, to the best of my knowledge, there is no such intensive

training in India. All we have is 1-2 days or at most week long training

workshops which are very general and do more of awareness and

sensitization. We need something more intensive and detail. India has

resources and infrastructure to do this.

Eknath

E-mail: <enaik@...>

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[Guest guest]

Dear Ratti / Eknath & others,

I am a qualified dermatovenereologist engaged in the management of HIV

/AIDS individuals since 1986. I have distinction of managing more than

46,000 HIV +ve individuals with sound research background. Currently since

over 3 years the incidence of traditional STDs are on marked decline. The

major job of STD specialists in India is to treat the commonest STD viz. HIV

/AIDS.

Any post graduate qualified doctor in India who has desire and dedication to

treat HIV / AIDS individuals can take up management of such patients & do

research if he / she desires. He or she engaged in management of HIV /AIDS

could participate in both national & international workshops / seminar /

conferences to learn changing concepts of concerned aspects of HIV /AIDS

medicine. It is false to say that there is special degree for management of

leprosy which is truely included in speciality of dermatology. Even so

called lone speciality of STD has been once again amalgamated with

dermatology. Do we really need separate diploma or MD training in

speciality of HIV /AIDS medicine, who shall train whom in India ?

It is essential to have commitments from medical community to offer health

care to people living with HIV /AIDS, ofcourse the political commitments to

control ever growing HIV /AIDS epidemic is awaited in India.

Sincerely

Dr. J.K.Maniar,MD

Consulting AIDS Physician, Bombay

E-mail: <jkmaniar@...>

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[Guest guest]

Dear Forum Members,

I have been reading the postings related to training of physicians, etc. on

HIV/AIDS and management of opportunistic infections. There is also a concern

that members are voicing about the availability of resources.

An attempt should be made to link up our HIV/AIDS initiatives with broader

sectoral interventions at the state and the central level. For example, World

Bank supported State Health Systems Development Project (SHSDP) operation in 7

states if I am correct, has a component on " Training of Medical and Paramedical

staff " . This component has taken off the ground in UP last year and in

Uttaranchal the contract has either just been awarded or will be awarded soon.

This component is usually a two to three year program. There is an immediate

need for lobbying with the World Bank officials in Delhi and the project offices

in different states to incorporate in the Terms of Reference training on

HIV/AIDS. The project implementation plans of the SHSDP for different states

are accessible on the World Bank web site.

Since the ownership of the project lies with the respective state governments,

this will be an excellent opportunity to take on board all the physicians in the

public health system of that particular state.

The larger issue is that we are not making a concerted effort to collate

information about different initiatives taking place at the sectoral level.

Another example is the Basic Health Project (supported by GTZ, German technical

agency) in Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra and West Bengal. This project aims at

improvement of basic health services in the state as per the needs expressed and

identified. They also support and facilitate preparation of district health

plans and provide software support for implementation of such programs.

Capacity building of NGOs to respond to the needs of the state is also within

the mandate of this program.

Different states are in the process of developing their medium term health

sector strategies. In Orissa and MP it is being supported by DFID. The

Government of Himachal Pradesh has sought proposals for the same early this

year. Can Forums like AIDS INDIA start advocating at the policy level with the

central and different state governments to ensure that HIV/AIDS is given due

importance in such planning processes.

In our responses to HIV/AIDS all of us talk about coordination, but we have also

by and large looked at the epidemic in a " vertical " way, an approach for which

we have been criticizing the government for years now.

To generate a much more integrated response to HIV, the need of the hour is that

we start developing a broader understanding of the health sector, of different

national and international players in the health sector in India, develop an

in-depth understanding of their sectoral priorities and strategy framework.

Only then can we advocate for integrating and institutionalizing our responses

to HIV.

Rajesh Jha

Vice President

EPOS Health Consultants (India) Pvt. Ltd.

A 69 Hauz Khas

New Delhi 110 016

Ph: 00 91 11 696 3946, 696 3579

Fax: 0091 11 696 3206

email: rajeshjha.eposindia@...

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