Adding Colours to Life at an ART Center

[Guest guest]

ADDING COLOURS TO LIFE:one more initiative from medical college Trichur ART

center

ART adherence interventions in Children affected by HIV should be child centered

and appropriate. We at Trichur medical college initiated a new initiative aimed

at making ARTC visit a pleasure than a pressure for our children.

We believe drawing and colouring can leads to colourful thoughts and hope in

these children and improve creativity in them. Finding one more reason other

than routine clinic visit can motivate the caregivers and beneficiaries to make

clinic more comfortable and this can Improve the beneficiaries’ compliance and

adherence in treatment.

So idea was conceived by Dr Vineethkumar ( medical officer ) who is an artist of

his own credit and counselor Preethakumary in the month of February 2010 and

materialized in 12th March 2010.

In this simple intervention we distribute  crayons and pictures for colouring to

the children who attend ART centers. They are expected to bring back the

pictures in the next visit when they come to collect ART. The painting brought

by them will be displayed in the notice board on the same day when these kids

are waiting in the waiting area.

Some parents offered to buy cryons their own as they can afford to buy it. We

also encourage them to buy water or oil color if they can afford it. In order to

make sure maximum participation, each of the ART team members acted as a

catalyst. Every child who bring back the painting will get a small prize like

sweets or pen. And also the best 3 painting of every month will be given a prize

in a small meeting

conducted in the ART center itself .

We made sure that these prizes are selected in such a way they they are useful

items like pen, books, Tiffin box etc and it will not look anything exotic to

invite questions from peers or friends.

In the month of March 80 children participated, and in April, 59 children were

participated. In order to improve imagination and creativity of them, now we ask

the kids to draw based upon a theme provided by us and the response is very

beyond expectations.

Currently the who project is sponsored by the ART staff and department of

pediatrics medical college Trichur.

We are looking forward to expand this small venture. We plan to conduct an

exhibition of 6 months collection of paintings on next children's day.

 

We hope this intervention will make ART visit more pleasurable to our children

and their parents .

 

Dr Ajithkumar.K

Asst Professor In Dermatology and Venereology

Medical college Chest Hospital

MG Kav,Trichur, Kerala ,India

Ph 04872333322 (res) 9447226012

e-mail: <ajisudha@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

Re: /message/11565

These are very good examples of ones involvement in the programme.

Those who internalise the programme can come out with sustainable and cost

effective models. Such models can also be replicated by others.

Dr Ajit and his team has to be appreciated for such initiatives. It also says

how much space Kerala's programme allows one to think and work creatively

Best wishes

Ajai

--

S.Ajai Kumar

Joint Director IEC

Kerala SACS

Red Cross Road

Thiruvananthapuram - 35

Kerala, India

[Guest guest]

Dear Ajith and Readers,

Re: /message/11565

It doesn't surprise me that the folks at Trichur Medical College and the ART

Centre have again been focusing on the perspective of HIV from the patient's

perspective.

This Centre has been exemplary in being innovative, client centred and cost

effective for as long as I have been associated with them which is nearly nine

years.

The Hospital Outpatient centre seems to be able to keep most PLHIV's out in the

Community and not adding to the 'bums in beds ratio' which is short hand for

patient productivity.

I talk about Trichur and Tamil Nadu at every opportunity as places where best

practice is epitomised and I would just like to add my congratulations from

Melbourne Australia for notching up another great patient focussed initiative.

Good wishes and I can't wait to get back to India some time soon.

Geoffrey

--

Geoff Heaviside

Convenor - Brimbank Community Initiatives Inc

Convenor - Brimbank International Student Support Services

Secretary - International Centre for Health Equity Inc

Member - Australasian Society for HIV Medicine Inc

P.O. Box 2400 s Lakes 3038

Melbourne . Australia.

Ph: +61 418 328 278

Ph/Fax : (61 3) 9449 1856

Ph: India : 9840 097 178

Ph: Nepal : 9849 174 329

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

Re: /message/11565

The efforts are praiseworthy.

Similarly you can also hold story telling work shops, play therapy etc to get

insight into child's mind to deal with psycho social issues and to plan

effectively to deal with issues related to disclosure.

Regards

Sadhna Jain

--

Sadhna Jain

Associate Professor

University of Delhi

Delhi

e-mail: <sadhna.009@...>