Story of 100 Days of Mission Highway

[Guest guest]

Dear Members , Supporter and Well Wisher ,

I have completed 100 Days on Mission and when look behind I found great

achievement as in 12 state I got 500 people who are willing to support campaign

in future in their own states, around 1000 clubs and community are going to

observe International AIDS Candlelight Memorial Day (16th May) in all over

India.

I Had one an half hour meeting with Dr.A.P.J Abdul Kalam (President of India)

although I got just moral support from him but because of him I could able to

meet Dr.Minakshi Dutta Ghosh (PD NACO).

I wrote to several times to NACO & SACS but they didn't response although I am

working same cause for which they are investing a lot of resource. Anyway now

NACO had promise to print a leaflet for all state in regional languages. This

is different leaflet rather than traditional leaflets which most of us use to

distribute. What is different or unique contents in this and how it is going to

help to combat AIDS I will write you soon. Now I have network in 15 State and

free of cost office space for campaign where we will develop support system for

HIV/AIDS infected and affected people, Govt. and NGOs.

Here is my brief report, summary of 100 days of my travel and findings.

a) About AIDS awareness level : In the cities, the youth seem to know most of

the prevention information: non-mode, mode, carriers of virus, prevention but

there is poor knowledge or information about the window period . At the district

HQs and at the semi-urban and small town level, the general impression among the

target group is that HIV/AIDS is a sexually transmitted disease and that condoms

can prevent it. It may be noted that certain districts of Orissa [balasore] and

Bihar [West Champaran] the information and awareness level among the target

population is particularly low. The school -AIDS programme in these areas is

non-existent, and few voluntary agencies are seriously involved in either

awareness or management and resources are very limited.

VCTC - lack of Counselors: In my visits so far [12 states and around 35 VCTC

centers], I discovered that in about one-third, there was only a single

counselor [either male or female]. The reason being that one counselor had left

for better prospects, and his / her replacement had not been appointed.

According to information given in one VCTC, Eligible candidates, were not

willing to join the VCTC, because of red tape and the fact that the tenure

would amount to less than six months [the post being on project-contract basis

and not very good environment to work] I have downloaded information about VCCTC

.. When NACO could present this, Must be all people appreciated a lot but

realty is this VCCTC is far behind original plan and we need to help to make

quality VCCTC accessable to all.

When I am talking about VCCTC , I think I must mention two sad story about VCCTC

(CRIF , Madurai , Tamilnadu and Kurjee Holy Family , Patna Bihar) cause its

important to ask question to authority as we are working for same issue and

ultimate our goal is to combat AIDS.

1) CRIF (Centre for Research and Rehabilition of Infants and Females), Madurai

This is a one of the good organization working in Mudari , with HIV + women and

girls , They are providing nutrition for women who are positive. They also keep

part time volunteer from different girls college and trend them as peer

educator on HIV/AIDS issue. They are providing counselor for blood bank for

post counseling in Madurai. But from January the Sadar hospital authority are

complaining that that CRIF is collecting their patient (according to Director

Ms. Maheswari Boopathi). Now the question is this when some organization willing

to support HIV + people , how it is possible to work without assisting HIV+ve

people.

2) Krujee Holy Family Hospital (KHFS), Patna, Bihar

A VCCTC started by KHFH with request of Bihar SACS after a lot of easel and

trouble in 2001. When this centre began getting the attention and people stared

to visit the centre, the Bihar SACS Project Director (PD) sent an order to close

this unit. GOD alone knows the reasons for the Bihar SACS PD's decission to do

so.

Either Bihar KHFS or NACO may explain this. But my concern is that people will

not get VCCTC, especially villagers and poor , auto people will suffer. There

could be reasons behind Bihar SACS decission but the BSACS people should explain

this to us also as other organization and people are working in that area. If

Hospital is doing something bad or wrong thing which can suffer our fight

against HIV/AIDS we can boycott their services. I don't think that is the case

as KHFH is getting a school program being supported from BSACS and the same

hospital is geting funds from NACO to run Hospital for AIDS patients.

If they were not running VCCTC then BSACS should provide them assistance to make

it perfect but after visiting 5 VCCTC in Bihar and 35 in 12 states, I found, it

was one of the GOOD VCCTC in Bihar and 10 times better than all others five. I

saw things such as broom in VCCTC Lab, counselors are sitting in blood bank

rather than VCCTC, Pulse Polio poster and BOX in counseling room.

I have many more details to say about it and it will come in main report with

photo and full story.

I am pointing out to all these because I believe NACO official are not aware

about this situation and happy to start VCCTC in all Medical College and

Hospital.

c) Inaccessible or complicated location : I observed that in some instances [for

example Chennai Sadar Medical College, which is located in the microbiology

department] there was no visible signboard of the VCTC, and on enquiry from the

hospital staff, I got a question in reply 'What is VCTC?', and even if we ask

for 'AIDS test Centre', one gets strange looks from the hospital staff. Being a

student of social work, working on the issue, it was possible for me to pursue

the question, but I believe that an ordinary person would have great difficulty,

and might not be able to access counseling or testing.

In Bihar, [ Hajipur Sadar Hospital], the VCTC was in a dark and dank place, and

the counselling room was dirty and had not been swept for quite some time. The

board outside is prominent and well displayed. The counsellor said that the

designated room was taken over by the pulse polio campaign, and so he sits in

the blood bank, feeling 'ashamed' to sit in the room designated for counselling.

A similar case is with the VCTC in Bettiah in MJK hospital. The VCTC was closed

when I visited with the personnel sitting in the blood bank, and the laboratory

without equipment. The " counselling room " is a table shared by a doctor and the

counsellor. The counselling requirements were not met, especially the mandatory

aspect of confidentiality and privacy for the client.

d) Lack of privacy. This seems to be a feature with several government run VCTCs

which are located in the Sadar hospitals. Trivandrum and Cochin Government

hospitals had separate counseling rooms. I really appreact arrangement in

Kerala but big city like Trivandrum has only two VCTC but they need many more

..There could be many factor behind bad quality of VCTC but some thing which I

realized that I am putting below :

e) Motivation level is very low. The selection procedure and training period for

the counselors take up time in an already limited one year contract time, added

to this is the fact that by the time the counselors has found his / her feet,

the tenure is nearing its penultimate month. Therefore the personnel, who will

be subjected to a fresh selection process all over again, rather than a renewal

of contract after assessment, tend to lose interest.

f) Environmental factors: In many government hospital VCTCs, there is absence of

a conducive environment and work culture. The VCTC staff are not treated at par

with the other personnel, and often feel lack of support from the

administration. In certain Districts in Bihar, the VCTC staff do not have a

proper room to do their counseling.

g) Private Test Centres. Some of the problems associated with private clinics

is that the concept of window period is not explained. The clinics often lack

counseling staff, and tests are given with no pre-and post counseling. The

referral systems in these places are non-existent and at best faulty.

These are some of things which I found on the way , I don't think that I will

get any other thing in coming 7 more states but defiantly some more new thing

will come and teach me lession to work on this issue in different line rather

than repletion of same type of project, in same area with same target group. I

don't want to start something parallel to govt and NGOs who are working but I

want to implement programme which will be additional for all ongoing programme.

Yours - in - Fight aganist AIDS

Birendra Kumar Soni

Mission Highway - to fight against HIV/AIDS

Post Box - 6200 , Malabarhill , Mumbai - 400006

Phone - 02234340530 / 01132577401

Email - stopaids@... / missionhighway@...