Govt to treat 100,000 AIDS patients for free

[Guest guest]

Govt to treat 100,000 AIDS patients for free

Press Trust of India

Posted online: Sunday, February 19, 2006 at 1457 hours IST

New Delhi, February 19: Government will increase the number of

people getting free anti-aids treatment to 100,000 patients in next

three-four months and launch a campaign to spread awareness on the

facilities being provided in the public sector hospitals, a top

official said.

However, the challenge was to provide second line of aids treatment

to five per cent of patients who are resistant to the first line of

drugs in India, she said. Currently, second line of drugs are not

being provided at the public sector hospitals.

" Currently 26,000 aids patients are getting free treatment at public

sector hospitals and centres, " Sujata Rao, project director of the

National Aids Control Organisation said here at the launch of a

training plan for nurses in the HIV/AIDS management involving the

government and the Clinton foundation.

In the next three-four months, the number of aids patients getting

free treatment at the government centres would go up to 100,000, she

said.

She said besides the 26,000 patients, another 10,000 were getting

free treatment at centres run by groups such as railways, postal and

steel companies while 25,000 were spending money out of their

pockets on aids treatment.

Government hoped to upscale the treatment with support from donors,

she said.

http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=63107

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

It is a good move from the Government to provide for ARV for 100000 PLWHAs. As

it stated that till now 26,000 PLWHAs already accessing ARV medicines from the

ART rollout programme.

We need to have a clear strategy and prioritize the need of this massive ART

roll-out programme in the country. There are district level support groups in

the six high prevalence states. The state AIDS control society must involve

these district level networks and come out with some joint action plan to

implement this ART roll-out programme.

The district level positive people network is very strong. Currently few

District level neworks are implementing global fund round 4 project called

" Access to Care and Treatment " in six high prevalence states.

The objective of this project is to reduce the morbidity and mortality of the

PLWHAs who are put on ART by government ART roll-centers.

The district level networks (DLN) provide counseling, referral services, support

group meetings, advocacy meetings etc. There is a concept of Treatment Peer

Educators in this project who work under this DLN. These Treatment Peer

Educators (TPE) are trained and equipped with all the skills and knowledge. The

job of TPE's is to meet the PLWHAs (who are on ART) and educate them about

adherence. They also give some useful tips how to take medicines regularly. This

helps increase in treatment adherence.

It is imperative to co-ordinate with each other and jointly evolve some kind of

plan on how to reach 1 lakh people. This helps in reaching the programme to more

number of PLWHAs.

Bharat S,

State co-ordinator,

PFI State office Bangalore.

E-mail: <bharatwrites2001@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear Mr. Shetty and friends,

We have heard for such claims repeatedly about so many patients getting free ARV

treatment either through NACO or through Ministry of Health, but on ground it is

not happening.

It is possible that some in high prevalence states may be getting such treatment

that too with lot of irregularity and interruptions as being reported by some

organisations working with HIV positive people.

To our experience, we are not getting any where for our requests to help us with

funding for awareness campaign or with ARV drugs for children positive with HIV

in our hospice or to expand this work as being done in Gwalior and Chambal

region in Central India (etails on

www.helpchildrenofindia.org)

Probably all agencies and organisations are waiting for low prevalent areas to

become high prevalent and then only they will wake up, but then it will be too

late probably. We hear millions of dollars and billions of rupees are being

spent in India, but we hardly see any difference. If the money is well spent,

why we do not

see any impact or is it being spent mostly on papers as what is reported all the

time.

What I know is that small organisations like ours who are working on ground are

struggling for meagre funds to meet actual expenses, while millions are being

wasted otherwise or majority of these

being pocketed probably, as what usual practice is in India.

Thanks, with regards,

Dr.B.K.Sharma,

Gwalior Childrens Hospital Charity,

14,Magdalene Road, Walsall,West Midlands. WS1 3TA(U.K.)

Tel. +44(0)1922 629842 Fax. 01922 632942

Mobile. 07729929982

Email: gwalior.hospital@...

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

Ref: Dr. Sharma's message on Govt to treat 100,000 AIDS patients for free

Firstly, I empathize with your frustration, but I do not agree with what you

have stated though.

Secondly, please do not generalize or think every body in this country is

pocketing money. There might be a few incidence of fund misappropriation, but

that don’t mean that every body siphoning – off the money give to them.

I’m part of a program called Tamil Nadu Family Continuum of Care program,

implemented by the TANSACS through 16 field NGO’s, funded by CIFF (Children

Investment Fund Foundation), where we (SAATHII) provide technical support, YALE

University takes care of monitoring and evaluation. Through this project we are

catering to 4000 PLWHA families, where through the efforts of all the above

mentioned partners a system is created which provided all services inclusive of

ART, OI treatment, Micro & Macro Nutrients, counseling, community based

linkages & support systems. And I could court other NGO’s CBO’s, Government

agencies like the SACS (TANSACS, APSACS, etc) who are pioneering in

sensitizing, advocating for care and support for PLWHA. Therefore, I urge you

to look at all the good things that happening around, the model created, the

lesson’s learnt and be challenged.

Yes, we have been slow in responding in terms of providing care, but if we do

not sensitize the government, who else would?

And if you are genuinely hard working, struggling, making ends meet NGO, hang

in there your hope is on the way.

Wishing you all the best for your efforts!

Warm regards,

Fredrick

Program Manager – TA

SAATHII, Chennai

E-mail: <joefredrick_6@...>