Britsh 'Doctor' playing God in Kolkotta

[Guest guest]

Brit doc is god to Kolkata AIDS sufferers

Sujoy Dhar (Indo-Asian News Service)Kolkata, September 12, 2006

In a small dispensary on the ground floor of a nursing home in

central Kolkata, an elderly British doctor is the last hope for a

steady stream of HIV carriers. They wait for free distribution of

exorbitantly priced second-line anti-retroviral drugs to prolong

their survival.

For the likes of porter Rajiv Yadav, plagued by a disease that is

considered a stigma, the grandfatherly Briton, Jack Preger, is the

god who has not failed them.

Preger has not only rushed to a HIV/AIDS combat zone that even the

Indian government with its high-on-propaganda-low-on-action report

card has so far feared to tread, but also offers monetary support to

people like Yadav to pay his monthly room rent.

Thirty eight-year-old Yadav and countless others, who are now on the

costly second line of drugs to survive, do not receive any

assistance from the government. So it is natural that patients who

pour in at the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine (CSTM) here are

frequently referred to Preger for free drugs.

The monthly treatment of an HIV carrier on the second line of

treatment is anything between Rs.2,500 and Rs.9,000 per month,

something unaffordable by Indian middle class standards.

According to UNAIDS statistics of May 2006, India has 5.7 million

people living with HIV/AIDS, ahead of South Africa where the figure

stands at 5.5 million. Official Indian statistics however put the

number at 5.2 million.

" I was a TB patient and then one day during a blood check up I was

detected with HIV. Since then it has been a long struggle and life

has been akin to carrying the burden of a corpse. I feel weak and am

unable to bear heavy weight, " says Yadav, who migrated to this

eastern metropolis from Bihar's Samastipur district.

" Now the sahib even pays my rent of Rs.500 every month, " says Yadav

with gratitude.

Says Aparesh Das (name changed), a haemophilia-affected 29-year-old

from neighbouring South 24 Parganas district: " I have to undergo

blood transfusion and that cost itself is huge. So far I have always

purchased my medicines but I cannot afford it any more. "

Aparesh, who is married and resides in a place which is about three

hours journey from Kolkata, is helpless since he lives on the income

of his father and the tuitions his wife gives to local students in

their village.

" Nowhere in West Bengal could I find second line of drugs for free

or even in subsidy. I work in a small private firm and my employer

helped me initially. Now I would die but for the help of Preger, "

says Raja Mitra (name changed), a 47-year-old father of five

daughters.

Preger, 76, with resources generated by his own efforts from friends

abroad, has taken up the burden of treating AIDS patients, offering

them second-line drugs under the ART (Anti-Retroviral Therapy), free

of cost.

ART refers to any of a range of treatments that include

antiretroviral medications. These drugs are designed to destroy

retroviruses such as HIV, or interfere with their ability to

replicate.

" I managed to start this clinic and run it with support from groups

in six nations. I am leaving for Spain soon to collect funds, " says

Preger, who arrived in Kolkata from Bangladesh in 1979 as a

Commonwealth citizen. He started his work with the destitute living

on the streets, a programme which is still run under the name of

Calcutta Rescue and funded by support groups in Europe as well as

locally.

" I want to say 'no' to more patients needing second line of

treatment but I cannot really refuse them after all when they come, "

Preger says.

" All the money is spent on awareness campaigns. The sufferers should

be taken care of by the government. It is also crazy that Indian

companies like Ranbaxy are exporting the drugs abroad while in India

it is not yet approved, " said Ranjit Biswas, a doctor assisting Jack

Preger.

The Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine (CSTM) also acknowledges

the services of Preger.

" Jack Preger is really doing a great service. He is giving a

lifeline to people and is very considerate with our requests. We

have asked him to send us his patients receiving the first line of

treatment, and take from us those who need second-line of treatment,

which we cannot afford, " says S.K. Guha, in-charge, ART Centre, CSTM.

" The government is collecting data from various ART centres about

the exact requirement of people who need second line of treatment,

which is very complex, costly and difficult, " Guha explains.

" The second line has side effects too and so we try to keep the

patient on first line mostly, " says Guha.

" Efforts are on to reduce the price also and make the drugs cost-

effective, " he says.

The drugs used in second-line therapy are patented, produced and

sold by mostly multinational pharmaceutical corporations.

Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd recently said that the World Health

Organisation (WHO) has included four of its additional anti-

retroviral (ARV) products in its pre-qualification list. The

products approved by WHO are Efavirenz 600 mg tablets, Efavirenz 200

mg capsules, Stavudine 30 mg capsules and Stavudine 40 mg capsules,

the company said in a statement.

" We strongly feel that generic ARVs are essential in the struggle

against HIV/AIDS and are committed to providing high quality, cost

effective generics, " said Malvinder Mohan Singh, Ranbaxy CEO and

managing director.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1794213,0011.htm

[Guest guest]

Dear forum:

This refer to the statement posted with the news " Britsh 'Doctor' playing God

in Kolkotta "

The article states that " The drugs used in second-line therapy are patented,

produced and sold by mostly multinational pharmaceutical corporations "

I would like this to clarified as this is a wrong information.

MSF is using the 2nd line as; ABC + DDI + LPN/r All from Indian generics

qualified by FDA/WHO and available in the indian market!

Thank you

Dr. G. CARAVOTTA

e-mail: jorge.caravotta@...

Medecines Sans Frontieres [MSF]

Mobile: 0091-9833969457