Hospital for HIV+ shuts down as funds dry up

[Guest guest]

Hospital for HIV+ shuts down as funds dry up

TNN, Mar 29, 2010, 09.54pm IST

BAGALKOT: The state is in for a shock: the Bagalkot centre of the Freedom

Foundation for HIV-affected persons will be closed down on Wednesday. The

Foundation had set up four hospitals across South India two years ago, to curb

the spread of HIV in the region. They were established at Bagalkot (Karnataka),

Guntur (Andhra Pradesh), Tiruchi (Kerala) and Kakinada (Tamil Nadu).

The US-based Global Foundation For AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM) had given

financial support for the treatment of patients suffering from these three major

diseases. A Chennai-based voluntary organization, Population of India, took help

from the Foundation to set up these hospitals, which came as a boon to

HIV-infected persons.

The Bagalkot hospital, which started out in a rented house in Godi, on

Muchakhandi Road, served patients from North Karnataka. The hospital had a

50-bed capacity. More than 4,157 HIV-affected people have been treated in this

hospital till today, but fatalities have been a mere 400.

The main reason for the hospital shutting down is that GFATM announced that it

would discontinue funding. The agreement contract was not renewed from March 31,

2010.

The closure procedure began on March 15, with patients being shifted to the

government hospital. Equipment worth Rs 30 lakh was returned to the parent

organization.

It has also affected 32 staff working here, but it is patients who are worst

hit. While the government is thinking of opening a separate section in the

district hospital, it remains to be seen if these patients can be served

round-the-clock and as efficiently.

Several NGOs, social workers and industrialists approached the elected

representatives to keep the hospital going, but till today, there has been no

response from the authorities.

Bagalkot district has a high number of HIV-positive patients, and with the

closure of the hospital, the ball is now in the government's court.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hubli/Hospital-for-HIV-shuts-down-as-fun\

ds-dry-up/articleshow/5733059.cms

[Guest guest]

Dear all,

Re: /message/11285

If we could work towards enhancing existing systems, we can probably ensure

sustainability of the service. Freedom Foundation has innovated some schemes

using a revenur model.

An additionals step could be towards PPP with the government.

Vimla Nadkarni <vimla@...>

Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, India