Mumbai: City HIV positive youths get a forum

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Citys HIV positive youths get a forum

Mumbai, July 16 Network of Positive people in Mumbai will provide emergency

medical care, need-based advocacy

As the name suggests, it's a positive step that will go a long way in enabling

the citys HIV positive people fight the stigma and get emergency medical care.

The Network of Positive people in Mumbai (NPM), a first such forum in the state,

was launched by a group of 16 HIV positive youths, aged between 18 and 25 years,

on July 11.

“A few months back, an HIV positive man suffered a severe paralytic attack.

There was no one from his family to take him to the hospital. A few neighbours

took him to the hospital but as soon as his status was revealed, they deserted

him, said Bharti Sonanwane, president of the NPM.

It was then that we realised that it is very important that someone should take

up the responsibility of providing emergency healthcare services to people

suffering from HIV. The forum will help those who need hospitalisation, an will

take care of the admission formalities and other basic requirements, said Anand

Ishware, the project manager.

The network, active in Vidyavihar, has more than 500 members, both HIV positive

people and family members of those infected.

The idea behind forming a mixed group of both infected and affected — those

with HIV-positive family members — is to create awareness against

discrimination. The youth group, under the aegis of NPM, will primarily perform

street plays, give emergency services, raise funds and provide need-based

advocacy.

“Even today families of the HIV positive people are discriminated against.

Many a times theres no one to perform the last rights of the people dying of

AIDS. We will ensure proper funeral services for such people, said 27-year-old

Maya (name changed). Maya discovered her HIV positive status four years ago

after her husband died of AIDS.

Having members who were shunted out of their jobs due to their status, the forum

will ensure a three-month training for those registering with it in the service

sector. When they started training, the corporate trainers told us that they are

not sure whether HIV positive people will be given jobs or not. We asked them to

train these youngsters and if they are still not given jobs at malls or cafes on

the grounds of competence we will then intervene as young advocates, said

25-year-old Ritu (name changed), who joined the youth forum as a full-time

worker after leaving her job in a parlour.

The youth group will give need-based advocacy where there are issues. We will

also target colleges, corporates and hospitals where there are HIV positive

youngsters, said Ishware.

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