Lucknow: Hospice centre for PLWHA

February 28, 2004

LUCKNOW : They're just like us. Except that they're facing a no-win battle with

one of the world's most dangerous diseases today. Life for 30-year-old Suresh

(name changed) and 24-year-old Veena (name changed) changed dramatically

overnight in July 2003, when they tested HIV positive. Suresh, by then, was a

full blown AIDS patient.

" Social boycott and mental trauma had to follow, and so it did, but the most

unbearable part was the contempt that people showed towards my one-year-old

daughter who thankfully has tested HIV negative, " said a tearful Veena.

Hailing from Chamoli, Suresh was forced to go to work at a textile mill in Surat

in 2002, in order to support his family. " A malaria attack, followed by a few

vaccinations, probably introduced the virus into my body, " Suresh told TNN. " But

I had no idea about AIDS until the doctors told that it leads to death. "

However, the confirmation came only when the couple went to an HIV testing

centre at Meerut . Veena has not exhibited any symptoms of AIDS yet, but has

been declared HIV positive, revealed Sister Alice of Shantiniketan.

Suresh's health began declining a few months back, with bouts of high fever as

frequent as once in five days with regular shivering sensations and severe loss

of appetite.

Inaugurating Lisieux Shantiniketan, the only charitable hospice for HIV and AIDS

victims in UP, project director, UPSACS, Aradhana Johri informed that NGO's

working for AIDS patients across the state would be networked for the proper

utilisation of resources.

She stressed on the need to set up more of such centres to provide treatment for

the opportunistic infections occurring in the case of such patients.

Chief guest, DG, health services, DR HP Kumar also insisted on establishing such

carehouses for HIV/AIDS patients.

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