Urgent Action Needed on Community Care Centres

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum members,

I write in response to Ashok Rau's and Shyamala Ashok's postings on

the Evaluation of Community Care Centres, and the general apathy

at all levels to the care and support needs of people living with

HIV.

The evaluation conducted by ORG Marg was such a farce, irrespective

of whether an organization got an A, B or C grading.

In Karnataka the evaluators were from a savings and credit background who did

not even speak the local language. Neither had any experience in care and

support.

The only HIV related experience that they had had was some awareness programme

they had conducted once in another state. After all it is not that we lack

professionals to do such an evaluation. We do have scores of professionals in

the public, private and social sector who know what HIV management is.

It is totally disrespectful of those who have provided a positive

environment and pioneered care and support in this country to

subject them to such an unprofessional process. It is equally

disrespectful of the needs of people living with HIV to have such a

cavalier attitude to services being provided.

Civil society organizations and positive networks are as concerned

about standards of care and quality of services .

Does the evaluation process not need certain standards?

I endorse all the points raised by Ashok Rau and would strongly urge NACO to

order an enquiry into the evaluation and make the evaluation process public,

with CVs of evaluators, the evaluation methodology and detailed reports of each

organization and the basis of grading

Community Care Centres across the country have been meeting critical

care needs of people living with HIV since the past 10 years.

Initially supported by NACO, they have for the past 6 years or so

been receiving SACS funding. While fund flow has always been erratic

putting great strain on NGOs/ FBOs running these centers, never has

the situation been so bad.

In Karnataka while the initial contract ended in June 2007, till

September 2007, no information was available regarding the

continuation or cessation of the project. Letters to KSAPS or NACO

received no response at all.

To date, there is no clarity on who is actually going to continue the care that

is being currently being provided by Care and Support organizations.

How long can non-profit organizations hold out? What will happen to people who

need this care ?

Does NACO or KSAPS not have a responsibility to inform people living

with HIV if the care centers they are accessing will no longer be

able to provide services for them? Don't alternative services have

to be in place?

On behalf of all those who need these services, I would request NACO

to immediately to look into this matter and take the necessary

measures to bridge this gap.

In solidarity

Sanghamitra Iyengar

Director

Samraksha

e-mail: <si@...>