HIV+ form family for self-help

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Nov 12: Tired of fighting stigma from the society, around 200 HIV affected persons in the three districts of north Andhra –Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam decided that they would take care of themselves, by becoming a family. The HIV patients have formed a network among them and involving each other in their lives, be it to attend a celebration or to help one of them in need. They all gather at least once in a month and share their joys and sorrows. The patients even help each other in their last rituals. This initiative was taken up by the state nodal officer for control of aids, department of insured medical services Dr Phaninder Ketha who started "Positive Self Help Group" in the Employee State Insurance hospital in the industrial area of the city in 2005. "Being industrial workforce, most of them are prone to this dreaded disease because of their high-risk behaviour. We have formed a SHG in the hospital where industrial workers visit very frequently" says the doctor. In fact Vizag's ESI hospital is the only one in the entire state to have such a network to help and counsel the 'Positive' patients. Dr Phaninder, who earned a fellowship in HIV medicine from Christian Medical College in Raivellore, further says that the SHG was formed to give moral, psychological, social and emotional support. The patients eagerly wait for the seventh of every month, the day on which they meet. "I still remember those struggling days of mine. I was literally thrown out by my family members. I thought of ending my life before the disease killed me. But fortunately I came in contact with this group. Now I have some hope, to live happily for at least a few years. And I think these will be the most memorable moments in my life" said Nagaraju, 35, (name changed) who was getting treated for HIV positive since 3 years. Similar are the stories of all the members in the group. "Sometimes I feel lonely and gets tensed about my future but immediately there comes an invitation about some one or the other's birthday party and it's a real fun time for us" said another 40-year-old positive patient. Phaninder also said that regular meetings of these patients will infill some confidence among them and would help them regularly take their medicines and monitor their health condition. "Even the HIV patients have right to live in the society. Unfortunately we have this stigma in our system, which deprives these people of normal life. And this is what provided here to them. They will also take part in the funerals of other patients who die and they pretty well know that some day they would also die if medicines are not taken regularly and health monitored regularly" he said. The group also helps the positive people to get to earn their living also. There are some patients in the group who got jobs in the firms or places of the some well off persons who were also affected by the disease and part of the group. "I belong to Bihar and was with a private factory since a few years away from my family. After the co workers and my supervisors came to know about my disease they started avoiding me, which forced me to leave the job and when I came out there were none to offer me a job. I thought that's the end of life. But it was here where I got in contact with a person who helped me to get a job in one of his friends firm. Now I have some hope to live for some more time with out any hitches,” said the 38-year-old man from Patna..