ART Denial Strategy

[Guest guest]

ART Denial Strategy

Dear Friends,

I wish to share a disturbing trend in the denial of provision of Anti

Retro Viral Treatment at an ART Centre. The root cause lies in

ensuring the wellbeing of the recipients and their families but the

means adopted are incorrect and create newer problems.

Among the difficulties being faced by personnel at this centre - is

ensuring the regular assessment of CD 4 count for persons undergoing

treatment and motivating the recipients of ART to have their children

tested for HIV.

Various strategies are being adopted to motivate persons to this end.

As part of this motivational process persons are now being denied

their ART until they get their CD 4 counts assessed. Persons who do

not get their children tested for HIV are also being denied their ART

until they bring their childrens reports to the centre.

I work with a support group for affected persons and I now have three

such incidents to share with you.

All these cases have been shared with the concerned centres, however

the doctors at the centre have flatly denied any such strategy or

activity. The concerned HIV +ve persons are poor, less educated,

marginalised and not yet willing to register a formal complaint.

However the bottom line is that the members of our support group are

not receiving their ART.

Further when the members went back to the ART centre their ART was

provided, but only after they were berated for having reported the

incident to us!

The HIV +ve persons also report being told that " They had never been

denied their ART and it was their own fault that they MISUNDERSTOOD

the information and instructions that they were provided. "

I wonder if this " strategy " is being adopted by other centres too.

Further I wonder if personnel who are manning these centres have been

provided any sensitisation or orientation with regard to Stigma and

Discrimination?

Isn't this behaviour redolent of their own discriminatory views and

reflect a complete lack of sympathy?

Regards,

Lt Col (Dr) Anil Paranjape.

e-mail: <anilvparanjape@...>