Response of NICED Team on DMSC's 2nd mail about Siliguri Incident

[Guest guest]

Dear all,

This is in response to the statement made by Dr. Amitrajit Saha in favour of

DMSC about NICED’s survey among sex workers of Siliguri. I am trying to clarify

some of his points :

The basic purpose of ethics is not to harm any study subject. We follow it

strictly. If 2 police people (one in civil dress) go for some information

required for IDU survey, does it mean that they have gone to forcefully collect

blood from sex workers? People need to understand that we are working under

limited resources, lot of adverse situations and trying to finish it within

strict time frame.

Conducting survey of this kind is extremely difficult, particularly with sex

workers, IDUs etc. Most NGOs blame us without understanding the significance of

community based data and difficulties in getting it. The way surveillance is

done here, is much easier for participating NGOs to carry out. Hence, it should

not be compared with community based survey.

I am repeating again that nobody forced any sex worker there to collect their

blood samples. We wanted that DMSC staff would help us to achieve the blood

samples from 200 subjects in 3 days . We talked to the co-ordinator of Siliguri

brothel in Kolkata long back about it and told her to organize the field.

This includes collection of samples and interviewing sex workers. She agreed to

do it but we didn’t find any positive attitude from the DMSC staff of Siliguri.

They told us that they were told by the co-ordinator for arranging only 30 blood

samples in 3 days. WBSMA staff, Mr. Palas Majumder was with us there. He himself

had seen that DMSC staff ‘s attitude was very casual and had delaying tactics.

The moment 20 samples were collected in a day, they stopped the survey saying

that sex workers did not like to come then. The matter may be verified with Mr.

Majumder. Before starting survey, DMSC staff repeatedly pointed out that no

interview would be allowed from sex workers. We like know why did they prevent

us for not interviewing them?

For examples, HDRI helped us in collecting blood samples of 204 migrant workers

of Kolkata city within one day. We collected blood samples from 94 sex workers

including interviewing them within one day from Mahisadal with the help of local

staff of Vivekananda Education Society. This was made possible as a result of

sincere efforts made by the NGO staff. No other NGO had complained about us like

DMSC made.

4. In Siliguri, no NGO works with IDUs. We didn’t have any other option except

to take the help of police people for initial information. It sounds unethical

apparently, but police had given us information about their whereabouts.

We contacted them through local club members & other community leaders. This may

also be verified with Mr. Palash Majumder. He helped us in getting more & more

IDUs.

Till date, I do not know Mr. Suresh Kumar’s reaction about this. If he had made

any adverse remark about it then I would say that he was made understood wrongly

based on false allegations of DMSC Siliguri staff. I want to make it very clear

that I do not have any personal interest in it. If WBSACS thinks that it should

not be done, I would stop it immediately.

Lastly, I request Dr. Amitrajit Saha to share some responsibility with me by

taking part in this survey. I would provide all sorts of possible help.

Sitting in a office and talking about ethics is easy. Practicing ethics and

getting the work done is much more difficult.

This is my 2nd & last response. I am leaving this matter for others judgement. I

want the matter to be resolved fast like Dr. Saha for the interest of our State.

But writing letter of this kind without verifying the fact will not help in

resolving this.

Thanking you.

Regards,

NICED Team

E-mail: <kamal412496@...>