Assistance for HIV Patients

When we found Radha in early 2004, we initiated an hospice for children with HIV as an emergency requirement. The Hospice continues now within “Snehalaya – Our home with Love”. There are three positive among the 40 children there, but they lead a normal happy life with education and care. For years we have written to many organisations (including NACO, global Fund, the Bill and Mellinda Gates Foundation and many more.) We never have had any support. I believe the reason for their non-interest is that our region is currently low prevalence. Probably they are waiting for it to become high prevalence before they wake up. By then it may be too late and beyond control as in other high prevalence areas.

We have carried on with this work since then within our limitations. Our work has been mainly for creating awareness towards prevention of HIV/AIDS through our existing mobile hospital services and counselling with treatment within our hospital. For details visit www.helpchildrenofindia.org.uk  

As suggested by Dr. Fehmida Visnegarwala, our Paediatric HIV expert from USA, in the last three months we have attempted a survey from 59 existing laboratories in Gwalior including blood banks and CMO’s office, but could not get any information in writing for confidentiality reasons. Our pathologist and technicians have contacted them personally and met some of the people from larger laboratories including blood bank of Govt. hospital and Red Cross. On personal communication in confidence, 39 laboratories confirmed that they are testing two HIV positive persons every month on average. We are not able to get any further information. By our own efforts, we could trace seven persons with HIV positive status by personal contacts but they refused to come in openly or take treatment for fear of stigma, discrimination and isolation.

From the infectious unit of Govt. medical college hospital, we learn that two or three patients are admitted in a terminal stage every month. They belong to the poor community, and many more may be dying undiagnosed at home or other places. Staff can’t do much because of non-availability of ART drugs. However they have now promised that everyone found positive will be advised to contact us for counselling and ART treatment, if they decide to do so and if we can afford same. This denotes that at least 100 new HIV positive people are being diagnosed there every month in private laboratories by very conservative counts within Gwalior town. These are the people who can afford private tests. It accounts for only 30% of local urban and rural population of 1.1 million.

 I believe we are sitting on a volcano ready to explode any time. We do not know where all these HIV positive people are. Certainly they continue to spread the disease further and many more remain undiagnosed. This calls for a large-scale awareness campaign and publicity, together with counselling and ART facilities. Unfortunately we can’t do much with shortage of funds. The State Govt. and authorities do not want to know even or accept the facts. My letters and applications to NACO and Global fund remain unanswered. Anecdotally, I am told that they are concentrating and working only in states with high prevalence.

We have come so far with your support only. Once again we appeal to all of you to help us establish a counselling centre (24 hours walk in) with videoconference facilities which will provide advice and counselling from our volunteer experts in the main centres of India and abroad. Our vision of this centre is that it will include facilities for counselling, tests and treatment with full confidentiality as required and expand our awareness campaign with a door-to-door approach. This will be carried out by an additional mobile team. The overall cost? Just £35,000 ($70,000) per annum. We can do all this for such low cost only because of our dedicated volunteers and colleagues helping us without any charge. We request you once again, this time for this work and to help us as much you can by yourself  — or by recommending our work to known interested people and organisations. We would also appreciate your views and suggestions for a way forward. For ways to help please click here www.gwalior.hospital.care4free.net/donation.html I wonder if you can help us for making a case to initiate this work in partnership with any organisation in India or overseas. It is vital to make it happen in Gwalior and the Chambal region in central India now, before it is too late. We also need your help to make “them” hear us for these needs. We welcome volunteers with expertise to help us man these services and any suggestions are very much appreciated too.

We take this opportunity to remind you that if you will like to send any greeting cards, you can do so using these links  www.CharityGreetings.com/gwaliorchildrenshospital , it is an eco-friendly and charitable alternative to greeting cards, creating connections that really count. 

              www.helpchildrenofindia.org.uk