HIV patients unite to battle AIDS quacks

[Guest guest]

Indian HIV patients unite to battle fake AIDS cures

29 May 2007, Source: Reuters

By Krittivas Mukherjee

MUMBAI, May 29 (Reuters) - A network of HIV-positive people in India

has launched a national campaign against thousands of illegal

backstreet clinics and quacks who cheat patients with the promise of

curing AIDS.

Patients often end up going to quacks and witch doctors who use fake

herbal, homeopathic and drug treatments because the government health

system is widely seen as offering poor treatment while private care

is costly.

Health experts say discrimination against infected patients at

hospitals as well as social stigmas also force HIV-infected people to

turn to quacks who advertise in newspapers and through posters,

fliers and graffiti.

" The quacks are not only a stumbling block in the fight against AIDS

but also they cheat unsuspecting patients, often poor and

uneducated, " said Shabana Patel, a representative of the Indian

Network of People Living With HIV and Aids in the western state of

Maharashtra.

The network of people who are HIV-positive or living with AIDS has

chapters in almost every Indian state and thousands of members.

India has the world's highest number of HIV-positive cases with an

estimated 5.7 million people infected, according to the United

Nations. But only around 100,000 people get treatment.

Quacks step in to fill some of that gap.

Estimates vary on how much a quack charges for " curing " AIDS, but

anti-quackery campaigner Nayna Raut says it could be more than $3,000

a year per patient, a fortune for India's poor.

" They don't even do a blood test. Just on the basis of some fake

clinical diagnosis they prescribe their miracle cure for AIDS, " Raut

said.

Patel's group received more than 100 complaints in April from HIV-

positive patients who said they had been cheated by quacks.

India has approved a plan that envisages spending around $2.8 billion

over the next five years for AIDS prevention and increasing the

number of people on first-line AIDS drugs.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SP244741.htm

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

Re: /message/7328

HIV patients unite to battle AIDS quacks, O WOW! Three cheers for the

initiative. Let me report two from the state of Punjab.

First one is based in a village called Chetanpura about 10 KMs from Amritsar

towards Majitha. I know about this from my many patients who have gone to

him-initially he used to give free medicines but of late has started charging

too. Once thru one Dr.Mrs RAM or may be a patient from Tarantaran I could get a

sample of his medicine. When tested by one of doctor friends Dr.Jatinder Singh,

unofficially of course, the medicine was found to contain steroids and Morphine.

Many patients from rural areas of Amritsar can tell about this patient, right

now one of his victim's family is facing the wrath of HIV encephlitis and is

admitted with me in EMC Hospital, Amritsar.

The second has the guts to advertise right outside the gate of Golden Temple,

Amritsar. The photo was taken by Ms. Preeti kaur Rajpal last year, when she came

for a training with me from University of Minesotta,USA.

Dr.Rakesh Bharti,

Bharti Derma Care and Research center,

27-D,Sant Avenue,The Mall,

Amritsar143001,Punjab INDIA

Email-rakesh.bharti1@...

Tel: 9814044213 / 01832277822 /01832278522

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

Re: /message/7328

It is a very positive development.

The provisions of revised Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable

Advertisements) Act (in 2002) can be very effectively utilized to take suitable

actions against the quacks claiming cure of AIDS.

I would like to mention that through the intervention of the GSACS (in the year

2001), a quack claiming AIDS cure in Gujarat was restrained from duping the

already marginalized and financially overburdened section of the society, viz.,

people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) . The quack was finally put behind the bars.

The utilization of available legal provisions and my personal interactions with

the law enforcing authorities at the grassroots had facilitated the safeguarding

of rights of PLWHA in that instance.

I had difficulties( being a government officer and a technical person

exclusively working for containment of HIV/AIDS) in filing an FIR with

practically no support from govt. pleaders/public prosecutors etc.

In the absence of any other legal provisions available in the Indian

jurisprudence in the year 2001, the action was initiated under section 420 of

the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which includes, inter alia, enticing people with

malafide intentions.

A subsequent amendment of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable

Advertisements) Act in 2002, which has included AIDS in the list of the

ailments/disorders for which a claim for cure cannot be advertised, has made

things a lot easier now and the various

stakeholders including the NGOs and the network of PLHA need to be apprised

accordingly and facilitated regarding similar actions as per the requirements.

We all must optimally utilize DMR(OA)Act to take effective action against such

notorious and anti-social elements.

Best wishes,

Dr. Rajesh Gopal, MD

Joint Director,

Gujarat State AIDS Control Society (GSACS),

O/1 Block, New Mental Hospital Complex,

Meghaninagar, Ahmedabad, Gujarat. PIN 380016

Phone (O) 079-22680211--12--13,22685210 Fax 079-22680214

e-mail: <dr_rajeshg@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM and Dr.Rajesh,

Re: /message/7334

Thank you very much for your encouraging support and guidance.

We would like to thank GSACS for their steps. MSACS is very very supportive and

MSACS PD Mr.Sabde has personally wrote a letter to Nanded Collector that made a

very positive impact and support for the entire campaign.

We personally would like to thank MSACS, NARI, WHO and all local government team

for supporting this cause.

This campaign is just a beginning and now in coming six months we are doing this

campaign in each districts of Maharashtra.

We request all the forum members to be part of this campaign by providing us any

legal information which will support this " Action Against Quacks Campaign " .

We thank all the forum members for their support and encouragement.

Please support local district level HIV positive peoples group and be a part in

the campaign.

Warm Regards

Manoj

Manoj Pardesi

e-mail: <manojpardesi@...>