Re: Death too is a lonely affair for HIV+ in Goa

August 28, 2008

Dear Moderator

Please publish the following comment as a response to this article.

It was interesting to read the news published at TNN Panaji by Preetu Nair. I

think we need to consider this issue beyond HIV and AIDS.

Why family abandon their members? Some time ago I read news in a national daily

that thousands of widows were abandoned during Kumba Mela. Their relatives took

them from their villages and left them in the crowd. How a son can abandon his

mother! It seems, family as the foundation of human society faces serious

challenges in modern times.

This institution was built on trust and love, but unfortunately both of these

attributes are unknown to many modern families. Absence of trust and love lead

to family disintegration and value erosion in the society.

Recently a 12 year old boy found at Panjim bus stand wandering .It was heard

that he was an orphan belong to Karnataka. when his parents died of AIDS, his

relatives sent him for domestic work at Hospet. When his master found him

symptomatic to AIDS, they put him to an interstate bus to Goa. Goa police

admitted him to GMC and later to TB hospital and he died there. Some NGOs and

the police buried his body.

These are day to day realities for people working in the field. Many times we

provided dignified death and final rites for AIDS

patients, still similar incidents repeat. Many care homes are scared to admit

dying patients with out a relative or a guarantor. May be because the burden of

burial and subsequent procedures at police stations and panchyaths.

When one does the final rites, even if the body is unclaimed, one has to think

thrice about the religion and caste of the deceased other wise that can even

lead to a communal riot.

For example, the Potta Retreat centre at Kerala has been running a care home for

AIDS patients. They admit many dyeing patients to the home and many died without

any one.

When the care home buried/cremated some unclaimed bodies; it was interpreted as

unnatural deaths or even murders! The poor priests and nouns are running to High

Court and Supreme Court.

Having said this I am not against the procedures but we need to

stream line the same with out disturbing people who do some good work.

Joy Cyriac

e-mail: <joycyriac2000@...>

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