Heavenly ties

For Rama,a commercial sex worker for ten years,getting infected with HIV meant lack of a daily income from prostitution. The brothel keeper too chucked her out and suffering from an opportunistic infection,it was Struha that provided medical relief. Little did Rama know that she would meet her better half at the community care centre.

Ravi (name changed) was a widower and infected with HIV. He had loose motions and had visited the community centre for a short stay. Says Abhay Pawar,”One day I saw Ravi crying and tried to talk to him. He was bitter about his loneliness and disease. I convinced him about the use of anti retroviral treatment (ART) and how one can live positively with HIV. A couple of days later I saw Ravi and Rama talking animatedly and after Ravi recovered,he came back to the centre to meet her. Their relationship blossomed at Struha and the counselors and doctors too supported the love match,” smiles Pawar. Struha even helped the love-struck couple find a small place to stay and got them married on November 10.

Struha basically functions as a care centre for all HIV patients who suffer or contract various opportunistic infections. “They can come and rest here,avail of the medical facilities and tests. Those who can afford the cost of X’Rays are charged concessional rates,” says Pawar.

“The basic thrust at the care centre is on counseling,” says Meena Kurlekar of Vanchit Vikas organisation that works towards prevention of HIV among various communities. Rigorous counseling is done at the centre to encourage the patients to start ART. There are many patients who have done tests to check their CD4 count and then have no clue where to go after that. ‘Struha’ is a supplementary project of the Karnataka Promotion health trust and is housed in the premises of Vanchit Vikas. “Ten patients can be accommodated for five –six days and since March we have had 195 patients visiting our centre. We do a continuous follow up and ensure that they adhere to ART which is provided free of cost at Sassoon general hospital,” says Pawar.