December 1,
2010 | Email | Print | 
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HIV patients left high and dry
December 01, 2010 8:23:44 AM
SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR
When the nation geared up to celebrate the World AIDS Day in a befitting way on December 1 to highlight the message of curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS and striving to achieve universal access to healthcare and human rights of the HIV patients, a large number of vacancies, including the crucial post of laboratory technician in the recently opened Anti-Retroviral Therapy Centre (ARTC) in Balangir, speaks contrary to it.
Opened in May on the eve of the Red Ribbon Express chugging into Balangir, the ARTC was supposed to be functional and effective enough to provide necessary ART treatment to the poor HIV patients of the district, facing difficulties to get the treatment at Burla, besides harassments there.
A total of 70 people are on the ART treatment and as many as 53 HIV positives are on the pre-ART treatment, informed an official at the District AIDS Prevention unit here.
So far, 368 people have been detected HIV+ and 46 have died of AIDS in the district here, the official informed further.
“A medical officer, counsellor and a pharmacist have been appointed here,” said CDMO PC Sahu.
Mere counselling is meaningless in the absence of laboratory technician in the ARTC as the needy patients cannot test their blood and they have to go to Burla and face the financial hardships and harassments there, pointed out an NGO activist working in the Link Worker Scheme of the Action Aid here.
All steps should be taken to appoint the laboratory technician first and then other posts to be filled up as it would go a long way to achieve the twin goals of effective care and treatment to the poor HIV people and also achieving the universal healthcare and human rights of these people, the activist viewed.
There is the provision for a laboratory technician to test HIV at Balangir, Titilagarh, Chudapli, Kantabanji and Patnagarh. However, as a large number of people migrate from Belpada, Khaprakhol, Murbahal Bongomunda and other blocks, there is no such provision there.
It is futile and unrealistic to expect a rural poor HIV+ to come either to the sub-divisional headquartres or district headquartres hospital to test his/her HIV status in view of the poor economic condition, social stigma and subsequent discriminations besides the high ignorance.
The number of HIV patients in the district is all set to go up once the testing facilities come up in all the migrant-prone blocks.
Moreover, the number of HIV positives are bound to go up further once the NGOs work more effectively.
“At the last moment, we receive a letter from the OSACS that the concerned NGO, working in HIV/AIDS, has been allotted this much of rupees for the work. We believe, they are not working properly,” remarked the CDMO.
Once the laboratory technicians are posted in all the blocks and the centre starts functioning properly, the number of HIV positives would go up further.
We are managing the situation by imparting training to the laboratory technicians of the other departments. Very soon, the HIV-testing facility would start at Saintala and Sindhekela, informed an official here.
Even as the leaders, medical personnel and the members of civil society organisations are striving their best to reverse the further spread of HIV/AIDS, the prolonged vacancies of laboratory technicians in the ARTC Balangir negates their assertions leaving the poor HIVpeople to suffer in the absence of treatment here.
Pertinent to note that, a person requires the ART treatment when his CD4 count is found to be below 250. Mostly, it is in the advanced stage. Unless this treatment is given, the death of the afflicted is inevitable.
| Back HIV patients left high and dry
December 01, 2010 8:23:44 AM
SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR
When the nation geared up to celebrate the World AIDS Day in a befitting way on December 1 to highlight the message of curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS and striving to achieve universal access to healthcare and human rights of the HIV patients, a large number of vacancies, including the crucial post of laboratory technician in the recently opened Anti-Retroviral Therapy Centre (ARTC) in Balangir, speaks contrary to it.
Opened in May on the eve of the Red Ribbon Express chugging into Balangir, the ARTC was supposed to be functional and effective enough to provide necessary ART treatment to the poor HIV patients of the district, facing difficulties to get the treatment at Burla, besides harassments there.
A total of 70 people are on the ART treatment and as many as 53 HIV positives are on the pre-ART treatment, informed an official at the District AIDS Prevention unit here.
So far, 368 people have been detected HIV+ and 46 have died of AIDS in the district here, the official informed further.
“A medical officer, counsellor and a pharmacist have been appointed here,” said CDMO PC Sahu.
Mere counselling is meaningless in the absence of laboratory technician in the ARTC as the needy patients cannot test their blood and they have to go to Burla and face the financial hardships and harassments there, pointed out an NGO activist working in the Link Worker Scheme of the Action Aid here.
All steps should be taken to appoint the laboratory technician first and then other posts to be filled up as it would go a long way to achieve the twin goals of effective care and treatment to the poor HIV people and also achieving the universal healthcare and human rights of these people, the activist viewed.
There is the provision for a laboratory technician to test HIV at Balangir, Titilagarh, Chudapli, Kantabanji and Patnagarh. However, as a large number of people migrate from Belpada, Khaprakhol, Murbahal Bongomunda and other blocks, there is no such provision there.
It is futile and unrealistic to expect a rural poor HIV+ to come either to the sub-divisional headquartres or district headquartres hospital to test his/her HIV status in view of the poor economic condition, social stigma and subsequent discriminations besides the high ignorance.
The number of HIV patients in the district is all set to go up once the testing facilities come up in all the migrant-prone blocks.
Moreover, the number of HIV positives are bound to go up further once the NGOs work more effectively.
“At the last moment, we receive a letter from the OSACS that the concerned NGO, working in HIV/AIDS, has been allotted this much of rupees for the work. We believe, they are not working properly,” remarked the CDMO.
Once the laboratory technicians are posted in all the blocks and the centre starts functioning properly, the number of HIV positives would go up further.
We are managing the situation by imparting training to the laboratory technicians of the other departments. Very soon, the HIV-testing facility would start at Saintala and Sindhekela, informed an official here.
Even as the leaders, medical personnel and the members of civil society organisations are striving their best to reverse the further spread of HIV/AIDS, the prolonged vacancies of laboratory technicians in the ARTC Balangir negates their assertions leaving the poor HIVpeople to suffer in the absence of treatment here.
Pertinent to note that, a person requires the ART treatment when his CD4 count is found to be below 250. Mostly, it is in the advanced stage. Unless this treatment is given, the death of the afflicted is inevitable.
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