Rajasthan: Personality Development Workshop for HIV Positive persons

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

The following is a brief report of a “Personality Development Workshop " I have

conducted for HIV Positive persons in Rajasthan.

25, Jan. 2007, Jaipur. " My ailing daughter was deprived of

treatment when I disclosed my HIV +ve status to the concerning

Medical professional although she was a negative… " alleges a HIV+ve

Father from Jodhpur.

" When I disclosed my HIV+ve status to a Government physician he

neither treated my diarrhea nor attended me properly……… " says a HIV

+ve women from, Bundi.

These were the statements and concerns shown by the PLHA's (People

living with HIV/AIDS) of the Rajasthan who were attending a

personality Development workshop being organized by Rajasthan

Network Of Positive Persons.

I, as a Journalist and a social activist was addressing this

workshop and there were at least 100 moments of time when I felt

ashamed of myself on the pity condition of my positive friends.

There was a serious concern that there should be proper orientation

of the Medical Doctors who are treating PLHA's and there is urgent

need of retraining them regarding behavioral issues. Some of the

PLHA's were of the opinion that there is urgent need of appointing

Pediatricians in ART centers.

The major concerns shown by the PLHA's were:

1. There is immense need of establishment of network for

positive persons in the state, which are presently six instead of 32.

2. These networks should have clear guidelines and sufficient

financial assistance for smooth functioning.

3. The economically well-set district of Sriganganagar, which

has maximum cases of HIV +ve mothers, doesn't have even a single

peer counselor functioning in the entire district.

4. All positive persons were very much concerned about the non-

availability of medicines for opportunistic infections, Referral

facilities and restricted availability of ARV Drugs (limited to Few

cities only).

5.How to disclose the positive status of HIV to the family members.

6. We are not affraid of our families but of the society.

My entire surprise went up when I was also told that the old ritual

of " Nati pratha " is still continuing in Districts like Jhunjunu

where wives of late HIV positive persons were forcibly being married

to the younger brothers of the deceased.

The main thing, which impressed me, a lot was the seriousness of

RNP+ in the real capacity building of PLHA's; which was very

strenghtfully and confidently expressed in this unique workshop.

Dr. JASVINDER SEHGAL

e-mail: <jasvindersehgal@...>