The Hindu : National : Imminent closure of AIDS centre shocks patients

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 14, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

National

National

Imminent closure of AIDS centre shocks patients

Rahi Gaikwad

Mumbai: Hisen Rupkar (name changed) shudders at the thought of having to stuff his pockets with Rs. 25,000 each time he is likely to take his HIV positive son to the hospital.

The days of good affordable medical care are over for thousands of HIV/AIDS patients in the State. By the end of next month, the AIDS Research and Control Centre (ARCON) here will close its doors to 10,000 patients as the project timeline ends on April 30.

Global Fund, an international network of organisations, which aided the project, will not be renewing its grant to ARCON — an autonomous organisation of the government of Maharashtra, set up since 1994.

Initially it was funded by Texas University and later by Global Fund. The news of closure has landed them between the devil and the deep blue sea. They will either have to spend an interminable amount of time at government centres or an obscene amount of money for private care. The chances are even both put together will not provide the care and satisfaction they avow they get at ARCON.

Rupkar says: “Even after spending Rs. 25,000 per shot, the doctors at the hospital I went to told me that they were helpless and no further treatment was possible for my son. That is when I shifted to ARCON.”

Here, the staff treats patients like family. Medicines are not the only cure for HIV/AIDS. Counselling plays a major role. There are so many male patients, whose spouses have not contracted HIV/AIDS.

Over the years, the research at ARCON has resulted in 25 published articles and 15 books. The calibre of its staff receives instant endorsement from patients. They also commend the service and the humane approach to treatment.

Despite its good track record, project director Abhay Chowdhary has let ARCON die its own death. He made no effort to seek aid of any kind. He does not see the point. The medical care at the centre is not free. There is a graded pricing pattern where patients are slotted into four economic categories. The well-off pay and the poorest don’t. “We do not find patients who are willing to pay. So this model of graded pricing is not sustainable.”

He also sees no point in worrying over the patients. They can always go to the free NACO [National AIDS Control Organisation] centres, he proposes.

The patients are not amused.

Roy Mhatre (name changed), an ARCON patient since 2000, discards this solution right away. “Just see the condition of the government centres. At the JJ Hospital, I wait for three hours only for a blood test. An HIV/AIDS patient has to make three to four visits in a month. Do you expect a patient, in pain, to wait that long? Plus, if one has to stand in a line for that long when will one work?” he thunders.

By Maharashtra Higher and Technical Education Minister Rajesh Tope’s own admission, the NACO centres are crowded.

Dr. Chowdhary’s estimate of affected patients obfuscates the impact of the problem. “Only 372 who are on Anti-retroviral treatment (ART) will be affected. We do not have 10,000 patients.”

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National