Re: AIDS & Punjab — II. Quacks thrive, Satnams suffer

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

a very valid point has been raised about quacks. Out of the 500 plus patients

registered with me over last five years atleast 10% are in " Satnam Singh's "

category-I mean not knowing that from where they got the virus and also being

treated without confirming their HIV status.

The other thing which I wonder is " who are quacks? " I have seen even MD doctors

prescribing Duovir-N and Efavir to the same patient at the same time or

prescribing ARV's in tapering dosages ( like steroids) or using PI's without

bothering about the long term effects in terms of affordability and thus

continuity of HAART.

This querry brings us to the question raised earlier " who is an HIV

specialist? " .

This morning at 5.30 or so I was handed over the news of death of PK . This 19

year unfortunate widow was the eldest of 3 sisters of a lower middle class

family . She got married to someone in Mumbai and became a HIV widow in few

months time.PK was in my contact for last more than a year and half.She

desperately wanted to get married to someone who could take care of hers. But

that was not to happen what was to happen was bad. Last month or so she was not

keeping well and also could not afford any test etc. I sent her to the local ARV

center in MC, Amritsar. The routine was ordered and after reconfirming her HIV

status a Cd4 was carried out.

By the time she was admitted in a private hospital by her parents for Pnemonia

her cd4 report came and it was 500 plus. Her parents brought her to me 2 days

ago thinking that as I know her state i may still save Pk who by now has

deteriorated really and the private hospital people might turn her away after

knowing her HIV status.

She had PCP for sure and still her Cd4 done at ARV center was 500 plus denied of

timely help, she expired this morning. I pray to the Almighty that May her soul

rest in peace and at the same time I pray to the Almight that it shakes the soul

of people who matter.

Why can't we have services of persons who have the experience of treating HIv

for a decade or so , why can't those mannng ARV centers be instructed to seek

guidance from experienced people- experince of people who know even more than

the profesors of Medicine of Medical Colleges( with due regards to them majority

of them have been thrusted with the job of taking care HIVers without their

interest).

Saving every individual should be the goal and no egoes be involved. I feel

treating disease like HIv and Leprosy (the two diseases I

have worked for) does not need only expertise but also a soul.

To quote Dr. Maniar of Mumbai 'Treating HIV is using your intelligence and the

sixth sense and not only medical knowledge and to quote the famous cardiologist

of India Dr. Naresh trehan it is business with a soul.

May PK 's soul rest in peace.

Dr.Rakesh Bharti,

Bharti Derma Care and Research center,

27-D,Sant Avenue,The Mall,

Amritsar143001,Punjab INDIA

Email-rakesh.bharti1@...

Tel: 9814044213 / 01832277822 /01832278522

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

Thanks to Mr. Naveen S Garewal for lettings all of us this interesting

miss happening. This story raises few questions for all of us to think

about and act upon it.

Apart from the question that how can a therapist provide ART Line one

treatment for long eight years without checking in ‘the variation of viral load’

time to time,

1). Was there a counselor for pre test and post test counseling and had at the

testing center and if yes then had he/she talked to is wife Satwinder Kaur,

other wise Satnam Singh would not have suffered from such discrimination.

2). How much qualified the Counselor was who performed pretest and post test

counseling and did not suggest the pathologist to under go for second time

checking. He might not have been declared ‘an HIV positive’.

3). As far as Rural Medical Practitioners (RMPs) are concern, they need to be

trained as they are in mass number and very close to the rural perople,

specially in India where still about 69% of the total population resides in

Rural areas.

4). As far as transmission of HIV from working class of Punjab to their home is

concern, working king class of Punjab is not the bridge population in a big

number. As the people of Punjab are not the labor class anywhere.

The truckers from Punjab are the bridge population as they transmit the virus

from CWS to their family, village and land. The State government must ponder

over the growing number of IDUs, and should keep watching on border areas from

the smuggling is being done. Instead of this, the people of Bihar, Jharkhand and

Orissa who work as the labor in building construction work and agricultural

field are the bridge population to carry the virus from CSWs to their family,

village and native place.

I appreciate the work and convey thanks to the NGO- Ambuja Cement

Foundation for what they did.

Dhananjay.

Dhananjay.

e-mail: dsinha@...