Help for Benson and Bency

[Guest guest]

Help for Benson and Bency

By Our Staff Reporter: THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Sept. 28. The Union

Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Sushma Swaraj, today

announced that the public sector unit, Hindustan Latex, would meet

the treatment expenses for the HIV-infected siblings, Bency (8) and

Benson (6), for the next five years.

Interacting with the children at the Press Club here, Ms. Swaraj

directed the State Health and Education Departments to ensure that

the children attended regular school. The State authorities told the

Minister that the siblings would be able to attend regular classes at

school within an year. Efforts were on to create a conducive

atmosphere for this by creating awareness among students and parents.

At present, the children were being given private tuitions at a

rented building near their native place at Kaithakuzhi in Kollam

district. The children could not attend the school in their locality

owing to stiff resistance from some local community members and

parents of other children.

Ms. Swaraj, who hugged the children and spend time with them, said

that society should be made aware that touching and hugging AIDS

patients would not cause the spread of the disease.

Posing for photographs with the children, the Minister hoped that the

pictures would help the campaign to create AIDS awareness among

members of the society.

Ms. Swaraj said the Central Government had scarce details on children

affected by AIDS at birth. A survey would be conducted to study the

problem and intervention strategies would be formulated on the basis

of the findings.

Anti-viral drugs would be given to children infected with AIDS in the

second phase of the National AIDS Control Programme. " The programme

is very expensive. However, the Centre would take the full

responsibility for its successful implementation, " she said. The

Minister said that anti-viral drugs would also be given to AIDS

infected mothers.

The grandfather of the siblings, who accompanied them to meet the

Minister, said that the children had no companions. " Nobody mingles

with them. They live an isolated existence, shunned by one and all, "

he said.

Bency and Benson are the children of his daughter who died of AIDS in

2000. The father of the children had died of the disease in 1997.

http://www.hindu.com/2003/09/29/stories/2003092905650400.htm

_______________________________

Monday September 29 2003 00:00 IST

Sushma announces medical aid for HIV-infected children

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Sushma Swaraj

on Sunday announced a special medical treatment aid to Bensy and Benson, the

HIV-infected children in the State, for the next five years.

She said the Hindustan Latex Ltd would meet the expenses as per her proposal.

Her meeting with Bensy and Benson took place at the Press Club here following

her request to meet the children in person.

The Minister's gesture came in the background of the meeting of the children's

grandparent, Geevarghese y, with President A.P.J.Abdul Kalam along with the

children in Kochi on Friday.

He had apprised the President about the social ostracism faced by the children

and the family.

Speaking to newspersons after spending some time with the children, Sushma

Swaraj said that the case of Bency and Benson was not an isolated one.

" There are many such children in different parts of the country. The government

would conduct a survey to find out the details of those children. In the second

phase of the National Aids Control Programme, the government would give

anti-viral drugs to these children through the national healthcare system, " she

said.

The government would take steps to provide the anti-viral drug to the

HIV-infected mothers too on a regular basis. Since the drug was not given to the

mothers after giving them a single doze of the drug during pregnancy, they

succumbed to the disease leaving the siblings to fend for themselves, she said.

The Minister said the State Health and Education secretaries, whom she met on

Sunday, had assured her that all efforts would be made to see that the children

would be able to undergo regular schooling in an year.

Now, the children are being given coaching at a separate rented building

adjacent to a government school following resistance from parents of other

children.

Sushma Swaraj, who took photographs with the children, said, ``my picture along

with them would be a good campaign material to create awareness among the people

that AIDS would not spread by touching or hugging.''

She urged the corporate bodies to come forward to adopt such children.

The grandfather of the children, who brought them to the Press Club, said that

people of the locality never mingled with them. ``Nobody comes to our house or

invite us to any function. The children also get no companions to play,'' he

said.

Referring to the treatment expenses, he said at least Rs 5,000 was needed in a

month for their medicines alone.

http://www.newindpress.com/Newsitems.asp?ID=IER20030928133125 & Page=R & Title=Keral\

a & rLink=0

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum members:

It is encouraging to see that something positive is happening related to

this case. Let's hope that the publicity will bring to light more such

cases, and that other companies will come forward to sponsor their

treatment like Hindustan Latex has done in this case.

In continuation of our work with mobilizing support for HIV/AIDS programs

in China we were recently able to facilitate the visit of Very senior

Government officials from South China to Cambodia to see and learn from

Cambodia's experiences. The delegation of 33 people( some Governors,Health

Department officials, CDC members and World Vision China staff) visited

NGOs, The MRD(Ministry of Rural Development), the Urban Poverty reduction

programme, the NAA-National AIDS authority, and met with members of the

Senate (This is the team that was actively involved in the law related to

HIV/AIDS in Cambodia).

For long the difficulty has been that HIV/AIDS has been looked on as a health

issue, so the Admisitrators (who have the authority to mobilize action) don't

get involved. The Health department people do not have the ability to mobilize

efforts on a massive scale, except withing their own sphere. The important thing

therefore , was to get the right mix of people together....the people from the

Administration, the Poverty Alleviation Ministry the Health department, the CDC

and NGO reps.

Working with them. I believe this was accomplished with the delegation and I

hope there will be a long term impact from this. Specially key in all of this

was the presentation given by the Secretary General of the National AIDS

authority for Cambodia (His Excellency Dr Tia Phalla) - linking poverty -

development - migration- and HIV/AIDS.

The people in power have to see first hand what is involved (interacting with

PLWHA and hearing from them of their despair) and also hear from others in power

like them. In this case one of the Senate members shared what the reaction of

the leaders in Cambodia was initially when the first case was discovered in

1991, and how till 1997 they continued to think it was propoganda from the

Condom companies to market their product, and how they then saw how serious it

was and rallied round to take action...and even admitted how, that

delay meant it was too late for so many.

Perhaps it is time to do something similar for India.....for someone to get a

team of opinion leaders and Politicians together and bring them to Cambodia!!!

If someone does, I will be happy to help them make contacts here in Cambodia

with relevant people in NGOs , the NAA and the Senate. I believe Cambodia's

experiences have a lot to teach us.....and who knows, may impact India the way

it has impacted China.

Best regards

Ravi Jayakaran

Mobile:+855-12-521-040

(from Cambodia)

e-mail:ravi_jayakaran@...