NACO's Mission and Vission Statement (Only to decorate the NACO website?)

[Guest guest]

NACO envisions an India in which every person living with HIV is treated with

Dignity and has access to quality CARE.

National AIDS Control Organisation is working with the above mission

statement we hope , but it seems above mission statement is only a statement to

decorate the NACO website or to be the heading of project proposal submitted

by NACO to Govt., UN agencies or other bilateral organisations .

Maharshi Balmiki Govt. Hospital , Delhi is running an ICTC Centre which is

supposed to support and refer cases to the proper places for treatment but could

not help a HIV + person for general symptoms, who was found by the public near

some sewers. It is so ironic. Most of Hospitals are having (VCTC and PPTCT ) but

still a HIV + positive mother has anxieties for delivery and needs to find out

a private nursing home for herself.

NACO has a huge ARMY across the country for all types of project and

components but still are not able to disburse salary on time. Crores of rupees

are spent for Rapid Testing kits for fast and easy tests, but still reports from

VCTC / PPTCT are given out after two days (minimum ) from most of ICTCs in Delhi

itself!

Staffs of most components at SACS level do not appear concerned about

PLWHAs' welfare but they are just worried about their own welfare.

It is not important for them how people are dying, but it is important how they

can earn money for procurement for I.E.C materials, Kits , Computer and other

materials or from recruitment of staffs and so on.

It is certainly strange and a violation of rules that SACS has given an order to

a supplier in October 2006 or November 2006 and the supplier delivers

materials in April / May 2007 and DSACS calmly accepting those materials

[although the entire concept has been changed] , and also happily paid the

defaulting supplier. Why?

NACO cannot even guide or look into such matters in Delhi, just next door. What

are they doing in other states? SACS is recruiting hundreds of staffers for

different components but they cannot find a single PLWHA who are eligible for

post , although they have registered cases of HIV + in ART Centres anywhere

between 1000 to 10000, why ?

Because they are not worried about the target group. Their concern is for their

own relatives, friends or own family network. DSACS have appointed counselors

and Lab technicians for their centers but have not approached any network or

not taken any effort to find out eligible PLWHA for any post , except

mentioning a note in the advertisements that preference will be given to the

infected or

affected community although there were so many people who were eligible.

Desirable candidates came for interview but were in fact not selected

although they had desirable qualification ( M.S.W / M.A in Psychology ), they

did not get through as they do not have any approach from NACO , APD , FM ,

Health Minister or MS , nor they had money to buy post of counsellors and Lab

Tech.. It is the same with entire system that NACO and SACS is running in the

name of HIV/AIDS but citing with PLWHA and general public.

God knows what is happening in far away states like the North East or Bihar ,

UP or Kerala , Tamilnadu or Adman but in Delhi it is so difficult to get

enrolment of HIV + people in ART Centre. It's is as tough as meeting with

GODS. A person was refused enrolment for ART by the by GTB hospital centre,

because he was referred by AGAPPE, an NGO , which is not a TI partner of DSACS

or may be the ART centre could not get list from DSACS which mentions that this

NGO can refer cases.

If you want to know how Doctor or Staffs treat PLWHA at ART , visit centre as

client or patients not like NACO / SACS officers. It is very important to

understand as ART is not functioning greater than a Govt. Dispensaries .

If possible NACO should do a survey on how satisfied our clients are with

service delivery at ART , ICTC , STD/STI or other components or the simple

experiences of PLWHA at SACS. The result will no doubt amuse us and help us to

find out room for improvements.

Our Ministers / D.C.P of Punjab police and other people are going to jail

because they have property more there earning but many staffs of SACS buying

flat for Rs50 to 100 Lakhs with their salaries of 10,000 to 20,000 salary

within 5-9 years.

It is not that D.G are not aware of this.Why NACO / Corruption Depart or CBI can

ask this question to all those staffs who are cheating the

general public, of Rs.11,000 Crores.

Is not coming from the trees or factory , but it is coming from the taxpayers'

pocket.

In the name of govt rule , protocol, Health Ministry / NACO or SACS

or other agency give evasive answers. They do not have the right to use

public money for their own welfare , They will have to be accountable and

improve their services , People are no more illiterate and blind .They will ask

questions and officer concern have to answer.

Why it is not possible to make responsible of entire system , Is not

possible to give contract to programe officers for components and if they are

not fullfilling target and not able to make impact in society , recover entire

fund from them ? Yes It is possible if NACO can find out motivated and commeited

people. Who leave for cause.

I know this letter may not bring change nor make an impact on NACO / DG, but I

am putting in my efforts with this hope that a thought process will start.

I heard that the DG NACO is putting in a lot of effort to make entire programme

performance based, but still she need to focus on transparency aspects at all

SACS levels. She should have the homework done beforehand so nobody is able to

question her for non-compliance with RTI .

The NACO / SACS website should be updated daily with all information related to

NACO / SACS including DATA , Procurement , Complaints with action taken Reports

, Recruitment process ( uniform process for entire country.

For greater transparency in employment, put the entire data on website

including rejected Bio-Data , written test should be a must and atleast 25 %

reservation for PLWHA ( infected or affected ), should be a Human Resource

policy. NACo call the biodata / CV but never mainain transprancy while selection

process , people have never informed in writing or otherwise .

Suddnly DG NACO saw dream that all componant In-Charge should be

M.B.B.S without any proper assessment , NACO should assess and find out what is

happening in those components which is manageing by MBBS or other people like MA

in Psychology or M.S.W although it is just proposal she must need a comperative

study for there staffs.

Why NACO and SACS can be different structre , she put people everywhere only

M.B.S.S thousand and thousand MSW and MA in psychology people are working in

NACO network but how come suddnly

she want assume that only MBBS can bring changes ? Why not all post should be

reserved for PLWHA who are eligible along with some relaxtion in qualification ?

It will empower infected and affected people and help to reduce stigma and

discrimnation , it willsave thier life and this people will be tonic for other

who are hiding themself from others.

Grading of SACS and staff performance, Progress Reports and income /

expenditure reports should be a mandatory monitoring process. Once more I

appreciate DG, NACO and her efforts but would like to suggest we need committed

and motivated people in our network to win fight against HIV/AIDS.

All above issue raised based on a informal interaction and small survey with 100

PLWHA family , LAMP ( Xavier Institute of Management ) students , visit of ART

centres , interaction with staffs of SACS and fact which can be observed and I

am 100 % sure DG and officers at NACO are also aware with all this and trying to

solve with at their end.

All above took place in 10 different states with support of Students from

different stream. Youth Issue is still remain to discuss , next posting will be

focus on this.

There are more issues that remain unheard / unsaid but I would like to stop

here with this hope the DG, NACO will continue her efforts and put in her best

for the cause and the issue of treating PLHA with dignity and fairness.

In Solidarity

Student Global AIDS Campign, India

www.fightglobalaids.org

e-mail: <sgaidsindia@...>