Human Question: Interview with Chandrkia, Anasuya and Father Anthony from Snehadaan
Duration: 00:56:52; Aspect Ratio: 1.366:1; Hue: 29.073; Saturation: 0.154; Lightness: 0.427; Volume: 0.092; Cuts per Minute: 4.220; Words per Minute: 100.299
Summary: Tracing the story of the global struggle to make HIV/AIDS drugs more affordable and available, A Human Question raises key questions of whether private ownership of knowledge can be at the costs of Human Life?
Bangalore Home
…chandrika making tea… shots of the house…
home based care and institutions
widowhood and hiv
Feels confident about her HEALTH for the next four years.
health
Sometimes I feel very bad about my son. He has a lot of aspirations. He knows the letters HIV, but he isn't really aware of what it means. I worry about what will happen when he does find out, what could happen to him at any time. (J : And now? Do you want to get married again?) Who, me? No, I don't have that hope. I did earlier. When my in-laws were trying to get me married, I used to think that if there was someone who was positive themselves, then maybe. But men die much quicker. In Milana, 80% of the people are widows between 20 and 30. When I think about all this, marriage doesn't seem like a good option. But if someone really good comes along…my younger brother keeps telling me, there are so many positive people getting married. So I'll see what happens. If I find someone good, who will accept my son, that's very important…I don't hope for it myself, but 2 or 3 people had asked me. They didn't like my son, though, so I said I wasn't interested. (J : They were positive?) Yes, positive.
Talks about her FUTURE in terms of GETTING MARRIED AGAIN and her priority is her son.
acceptance
future
getting married again
hiv/aids
positive people getting married
widows
Talks about MARRIAGE and the mostly YOUNG WIDOWS.
(J : You said that there were mostly young widows. Do you discuss this?) Some people will definitely want to get married, but they won't say it out aloud. The Milana members discuss several issues with them, so they feel particularly close to us. They ask us, you're still very young, why don't you get married? It's difficult for the staff members themselves to deal with this issue, so the others would find it even harder. But there are some who have got married, who've even got married to negative men. But Jyothi Madam hopes to get at least one of the Milana members married!
marriage
milana members
young widows
Talks about what people say about her remaining single, and how she manages it.
(J : But you have a lot of awareness, you have medicines…) If I had gotten married in 2000 itself, a year after I got widowed, it would have been all right. But now, in 2005, I'm a little scared of what other people would think. (J : Don't people here ask about what went wrong, since you're so young?) The owner of this house knows a little. She knows about my meningitis, not about my infection. I'm trying to tell her, but I'm also afraid of what she might think. Almost every one of my friends knows about Vinod, about the fact that he has to take a lifelong treatment. I'm just biding my time until when I think I can tell them. The owner is also very insistent about me getting married.
awareness
infection
lifelong treatment
marriage
meningitis
widow
Talks about what will happen when her younger brother gets married, and hopes that the GOVERNMENT continues to SUPPLY FREE ARV DRUGS.
(J : Single women must face a lot of pressure to get married…) Yes, my younger brother wants it a lot. Now he's being pressurised to get married himself. I don't know if his wife would be alright with his taking care of me. (J inaudible) That's what I said. Let's see. We can't really predict what will happen. I just hope that the government continues its free ARV program, and also starts supplying second-stage medicines. They don't have more than a year's supply right now. I hope that the patent amendment won't deprive the patients who've already started the treatment, of their drugs. I myself am quite sure that the person who's helping me out will get me my medicines however high the price rises.
government
high prices
patent amendment
supply free arv drugs
supplying second stage medicines
Meeting with Fr. Anthony about a case.
SNEHADAAN
Anasuya (A) : Father, we are from the Milana Family Support Network. Jyothi Madam had called you up and told you about the situation.
Father (F) : Yes, yes, she'd called.
A : So what do you have to say about the situation?
M : What do you have to say?
A : Because she's told you about their condition.
Snehadhan, Outside Bangalore
milana family support network
snehadaan
F : What did she say she wanted to know from me?
A : You know that she was very sick and was admitted to ACCEPT (F : Yes) She's been discharged now, but is facing lots of problems at home. She's not sure about where she'll stay.
F : She's not sure, yes.
A : And she wanted to know if she can come here. That was what Jyothi Madam had spoken…
F : Spoken to me about, yes.
J : So we wanted to know what you had to say about this.
Inquires about the discussion Jyothi had with Father.
accept
family problems
F : What I had said was, if she's not able to get proper nutrition, if she's physically in very bad state, then we're prepared to take her. But she was in ACCEPT earlier, and in Freedom Foundation before that. We don't know what kind of treatment she was being given there. If we find that out, we'll be better able to understand what she needs. We've spoken to ACCEPT and Freedom Foundation, and if she's still in a bad condition she can come here. But she thought that she should be here until the end. So we told her that she can be here for two or three weeks, and after that period we would see what kind of health plan she needs, what kind of medical attention, and we would communicate this to her family. So we've told her that it's possible for her to stay here for 2-3 weeks.
He says it is possible for her to stay here for two to three weeks if she is in a bad condition.
accept
freedom foundation
health plan
medical attention
proper nutrition
A : We've been working with her family, and told them about how it would be better if she was taken care of at home. But she has some other problems at home, and that's why we've come here.
F : What you say is right. In our society, most people would prefer to be taken care of at home. But there is also a stigma surrounding HIV/Aids in our society. So we have to help. (starts getting distracted by Jissy.)
Discusses working with the family, and the need for CARE HOMES.
care homes
hiv/aids stigma
F : In our society, we tend to have different perceptions of different diseases. HIV/Aids especially is surrounded by a lot of stigma, and many people see it in a very bad light. So even if the family members don't mind taking care of an HIV patient, the stigma they face from the neighbours, and others around them, often makes this very difficult. And sometimes we're forced to admit them to hospitals or other treatment centres. We have to work as counselors to ensure that they can be taken care of at home itself. BREAK
Talks about HIV/AIDS STIGMA from FAMILY AND NEIGHBORS.
family and neighbors
hiv/aids stigma
hospitals
treatment centers
Meena (M) : We're very grateful that you've agreed to take them at least for some time.
F : When they're in a very serious state, then we have to help. We were surprised ourselves at why Accept and Freedom Foundation didn't continue to keep her. We called up a counselor called Murali at Freedom Foundation, and asked him about her condition. In these cases, we always call up whoever has been involved in the healthcare, so that we know about what kind of treatment the patient has been on, and we can then decide how best we can take care of her ourselves. We might not be able to provide everything that the patient desires, but we look at what facilities we have, we talk to her family, the people who have referred her. Today I was in the hospital, so I was a little late. But otherwise, when the patient got here, I would have called up Jyothi Madam and asked her about the patient, what do you know about the treatment so far, and what we should do from now on. We feel that the patient would need focussed care, and while we provide that for two-three weeks, we also speak with the family and make up a treatment plan with the counselor.
Says that generally the patients past MEDICAL HISTORY is found out, and there are conversations with past COUNSELORS.
accept
counselors
freedom foundation
health care
medical history
treatment
A : Each member of Milana has their own kinds of problems. We see more and more people whose health is so bad that it's become virtually impossible to take care of them at home. We don't understand what we can do for them. Some members are even suggesting that Milana itself institute a care home. But we would find it difficult to do it on this big a scale. But we are involved already in other activities like field visits and home visits, which is why we need treatment centres like yours. So we just hope that we can continue to send people to you regularly.
M : We know that it's very difficult to institute a care home. Our main goal right now is to provide support to people who have suffered mental trauma as a result of finding out about their infection. We find that while we may be successful in boosting their self-esteem, any death of a person within the group immediately depresses them greatly. This is why we need the help of an institution like yours. Setting up a care home isn't very difficult, it's maintaining a high standard of care that is important.
Talks about the growing needs of MILANA MEMBERS and the need for SUPPORT AND CARE through TREATMENT CENTERS when they can no longer be taken care of at home.
care home
high standard of care
mental trauma
milana members
support and care
treatment centers
Discusses the SUPPORT NETWORK of CARE AND TREATMENT CENTERS in BANGALORE, their needs and CAPACITIES.
We are always willing to provide assistance. But I'm not really sure if Bangalore City needs another care home. I don't think it's very necessary, but I'm not in a position to refuse it. Because there are groups of people who need more care. Like orphans whose parents have died of the infection. Or widows. Snehadaan mostly takes people who have some family members with them, because many people who come here often want to stay on permanently, which we aren't in a position to offer. Our goal is to see that HIV/Aids is seen as just another disease in another 4-5 years. So we offer shelter for 2-3 weeks, maximum 1-2 months, but then we try as much as possible to get them back into society. Last year we admitted more than 200 people, of whom more than 180 were discharged. Our relationships with the families, and other organisations, enabled us to do this. This institution is of most help to those whose circumstances don't allow them to be treated in hospitals. Then there are others who can't be taken care of at home properly. There might be only one person to take care of the patient. If there are families like these, then we extend support to the patients. If there are destitutes without anyone to look after them, we send them to this other organisation called Support. We have linkages with all the other care and support centres in Bangalore, and we send them there. If there is a need for a care and support centre in Bangalore, I tell everyone that it should be for mentally affected people – people who have been severely traumatised by news of their infection. I feel that a support centre for them would be welcome. Because it would be very difficult for us to take care of them in an environment like this one. Not that we can't bear to see them in that condition, but we just don't have the necessary facilities for that kind of support. We send cases like that to NIMHANS normally, but hospitals are unable to take care of their specific personal needs. So this is why I feel that a separate centre for them would be helpful. There was a group from Coimbatore here yesterday who want to set up a support centre. This was what I told them too. But before setting up any centre, you have to see whether you have the staff to look after that many people. That's very important. You'll get nurses, doctors, general staff, but to get someone who would do the work with commitment and empathy is important.
aids orphans
bangalore
capacities
care and treatment centers
coimbatore
hiv/aids
human resources
linkages
mentally affected people
nimhans
sensitization
snehadaan
support
support network
widows
M : Those kind of people are very few.
F : I'm not sure whether to agree with that or not! But they are few, yes. The people working here are members of our order. We are part of an organisation, and we take an oath when we join that we will look after the diseased for the rest of our lives. So we are able to do this. It would be difficult otherwise.
There are too few people who have dedicated their lives to looking after the sick.
dedication
A : They've gone to get the letter.
F : Yes, after they get the letter and talk to us, we would be able to shelter them for 2-3 weeks. We say two, three weeks because even they…
Chandrika (C) : When we tell them that it's only for 2 or 3 weeks, they feel bad.
F : Yes, they might feel bad. But we will talk to their families and tell them about the disease, and how to take care of them.
C : They've been looking after them at home for 2-3 years. It's only now that her mother's family has started giving the husband some problems. He just wants to ensure that, even if she is to die, she dies with dignity.
(F : Incomprehensible)
C : So it would be difficult for him to take her back home.
Goes back to discussing Kannagi's case specifically and the problems at home.
dies with dignity
family
shelter
C : The husband is already worrying a lot. He has two children to look after too. He knows that he's responsible for infecting her. But he's also facing a lot of harassment from her family. He's quit his job and has just been running around for her sake.
M : He doesn't even go to work anymore, because this is playing on her mind. He even has a positive child.
F : How old is the child?
M : Three years.
F : Has he arranged to get him medicines?
C : He's taking some sort of treatment.
F : Do you know where the child is being treated?
M and C : Freedom Foundation
Talks about the husband who is also positive and his situation.
family harassment
freedom foundation
positive child
treatment
F : If we feel that she is terminally ill and is going to die, then we will definitely look after her until her death. It's very difficult for hospitals and families to look after such patients, because they can't really do anything to help. It's important that they be looked after well in those few days, and become ready to face death. And while I say 2-3 weeks, there are patients who have been here for 3 months, 4 months. And 1 week, 2 weeks too. I get together with the doctors, nurses, counselors, and we make an assessment about the patient, based on which we proceed. The 2-week period is also to motivate the organisations or the family members looking after the patient, so that they also think about what they are going to do with the patient after two weeks.
Talks about the two-three week time period, and its limitations and flexibilities.
medical assessment
terminally ill
C : But he's been accepted into Accept now since he's unwell.
F : Yes, he told me all that. But is the child in hospital still?
C : He's been discharged today.
M : And there's also another pregnant woman in his house. She might deliver in a few days. So he's not sure what to do. The husband's mother doesn't really know what the disease is.
C : She knows that he has a disease, but doesn't know what it is. She's looking after him well, though, and there are no problems.
M : There isn't any discrimination. But I feel that she doesn't know about how it's spread.
His child will be discharged from the HOSPITAL today, and the FAMILY AWARENESS and KNOWLEDGE of HIV/AIDS is low.
accept
discrimination
family awareness and knowledge
hiv/aids
hospital
pregnancy
F : When she was in Accept or Freedom Foundation, did they talk to them? Because when a patient is there for a couple of months, they undergo counseling for some time.
M : We haven't spoken to them in some time.
A : We want to visit their house. We visit patients at their homes often, and try to find out what their specific problems are. We don't normally encourage them to admit patients to care homes. Like we said before, instead of setting up a care home of our own, if we can provide the help that we are able to, and ask you for help when they need more care and support, that would be more helpful.
Tries to facilitate more SUPPORT IN THE HOMES instead of encouraging being admitted to CARE CENTERS.
accept
care centers
counseling
freedom foundation
home visits
support in the homes
Discusses the importance of encouraging more HOME BASED TREATMENT as opposed to CARE HOMES.
F : That's the premise on which our institution functions too. That in 5 years from now, care homes will only take care of terminally ill AIDS patients. And for everything else, patients can go to general hospitals. That is our goal. We hope we can achieve that in Bangalore at least. And that's why we have such close links with Jyothi Madam. As far as possible, patients should be taken care of in their own homes. It will be cheaper to do this, discrimination from neighbors will come down with time, and more people will become aware about the disease. Somebody has to start somewhere. But right now, everyone's afraid. If even a few people start this home-based treatment, a lot more will follow. You said that he doesn't know what to do. That happens. But if we can work with him and his family, maybe we can spread awareness in that locality. In 5 years, I don't see a need for this kind of centre, except for those who cannot be taken care of in hospitals because it's too expensive, or at home because of other problems. If we can manage to do this, I think it's true social service. We should try to ensure that HIV/Aids is perceived as just another disease, and some organisation has to take the step forward. But I think it's possible.
bangalore
care homes
discrimination from neighbors
general hospitals
hiv/aids
home based treatment
managing stigma
social service
spread awareness
terminally ill aids patients
C : It's definitely possible. There's a huge difference from '97 to now, and I think it'll change further. I think that if everyone can work together, change is definitely possible.
F : We're seeing things change here ourselves. Whenever patients come here, we speak extensively to them and their families. We started here in '97, and in the first three or four years, we had to cremate the patients who died ourselves. But after we've started speaking to the families, almost 95% of the families come and collect the bodies themselves, and cremate them. That has been possible only because of our constant interaction with them. So the stigma and the discrimination is definitely going down, and we're seeing a difference. A more positive approach to the disease is emerging. I see examples right here – more people are taking away their relatives after some time here, which didn't happen earlier. There is change, but we'll have to work even more.
Says that there is a positive trend in addressing HIV/AIDS STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION as more families are willing to provide care and support.
changes
cremation
hiv/aids stigma and discrimination
F : She said something about there being some rowdies.
C and M : Yes, rowdies.
F : When I heard about this, I was a bit unsure myself. If we to bring her here, then we'd have to deal with that problem also. So I wanted to know more.
C : What she said was that he would have to face these rowdies if he took her home.
F : But I have some misgivings too. Some people sometimes use us. They keep hopping from one centre to another. So we aren't able to give them the attention they want. If we find out what everybody has done, then it becomes much easier. All of us, here, or at Accept or at Freedom Foundation, want the patients to get better. Sometimes we aren't able to meet their needs, and at other times they don't co-operate with us. We have our own financial limitations. But maybe a different NGO would be able to do it. So that is why we try to find out more about their history. After you visit them and find out what exactly their problem is, then you can tell us and we can proceed.
Talks about the importance of finding out more about the PATIENT'S HISTORY so better CARE AND SUPPORT can be provided.
accept
care and support
financial limitations
freedom foundation
hopping from center to center
ngo
patient's history
violence
C : His main desire is to put her into a care centre.
F : I suspected that, yes.
C : That's clearly his intention.
C : But he's been looking after his wife very well.
F : All right. Because when I first heard about this case, I didn't quite get this impression.
C : No. She can't see very well either. She was being treated at NIMHANS.
M : Right now, she has to be fed. She can't eat herself.
C : That is why he wants to do all this.
Why her husband wants to put her in a CARE CENTER.
care center
eye sight loss
nimhans
F : Then any of you can get her here, and I'll make sure she is admitted.
C : We don't encourage admitting people into care centres ourselves. We know ourselves the kind of fear that comes with getting people admitted into centres. So we encourage home care.
A : We speak to all the family members as well. We tell them about nutrition needs, and others requirements.
M : And not everybody listens to us. We look at what kind of emotional state they're in, whether they're angry. Mothers are usually angry when their children get infected.
F : In my experience, family members are often unwilling to take in positive relatives. I'm not in a position to scold the family members. If I could just tell you about one incident, we have a couple of patients here, actually only one now, the other expired. He's about 30 years old, single, lives with his mother. We admitted the son, and then spoke to the mother. She told me something. She's about 50,55 years old, and I'm even younger than her son. She said, in all these years, with all the money he's made, he hasn't even bought me a sari. Now that he's got the disease, he's come to me. How should I look after him? Why should I look after him? So what I'm saying is that there's no point in scolding the family members. There are many people who've ignored their families for years, and only returned when they found out about their infection. The family can't completely refuse them help, but they will also have their problems. So we cannot get angry with them, because they would have had their own experiences with the person. So then we speak to the family, look at their problems. We don't immediately tell them all this, we seat them in my office, from where they can look at whatever's going on here. Some nurses will be holding the patients and taking them for a walk, some brothers will be cleaning pots, will be giving the patients baths. They see all this, and then when I speak to them, I don't need to tell them about HIV at all. They see all this and think, this kind of care I can give at home too. And their behaviour changes. So we can't be distant from either the patient's concerns or the family's. But we do have to look after whoever comes here needing help. We can't judge people.
Talks about addressing FAMILY SUPPORT in a NON-JUDGEMENTAL MANNER, and his experiences with building HOME BASED CARE for this HIV PATIENTS.
family
family support
hiv patients
home based care
neglect
non-judgemental manner
nutrition needs
M : When have you asked him to come?
F : I don't know what the counselor has said. But as far as I know, they can come whenever they want.
C : The counselor said that he has to get a letter from Accept.
F : Yes, we just need a letter from Accept saying that they were there, and they are being discharged. We need it to see what kind of treatment they were being given there, their medical record. (Plane sound) We do that ourselves when we send patients to other places. This is quite a common formality when patients are being transferred from one organisation to another.
Talks about the COMMON FORMALITY of needing a letter from the past CARE INSTITUTION.
accept
care institution
common formality
counselor
treatment
A : You've spent so much time speaking to us, Father. When we see the environment here, we feel that any patient will get better.
F : Sometimes I face problems too, because when they come here, they don't want to leave! That is a problem. But it is possible to bring about a change in mental attitude. And once we do that, once we give them other examples and tell them, you're in this situation now, you can live outside too. So it's possible to provide this motivation. This kind of environment is very conducive. The two things that I emphasise most are – good nutrition, and a good healthy environment. People in society aren't generally very well off. And while it's easy to talk about this hospital and that medicine, it's difficult to do it. But good nutrition and good environment, we feel, can contribute to keeping them healthy. That has been our experience. Along with that, of course, medicines, and whatever other comforts we can provide, we do.
Talks about the importance of GOOD NUTRITION and GOOD HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT in getting better.
good healthy environment
good nutrition
medicines
Father Anthony talks about SNEHADAAN, what it does and it's history as a organization that was started for DESTITUTES IN BANGALORE and is now DEDCIATED TO THE CARE OF HIV/AIDS PATIENTS.
INTERVIEW WITH FATHER ANTHONY
(J : Tell us about this place, about the work you do here)
Well, this Snehadaan, you know…Snehadaan, the name itself is very, you know, thoughtful. Thoughtful and it gives you some life, like you know, Sneham love, Dhyanam that you offer, you know, you…house mean, you know, gift of love. This is a place where you, that's where there is love, there is life. So whatever sort of patients come here, what all we try is our best to give some love to energise some life. Now this Snehadaan is dedicated for the care of HIV/Aids patients. We began it in '97. '97, you know, we just wanted…as an organisation we just wanted to have a home for the destitutes in Bangalore. That is the idea that we had, and started this house specifically for taking care of destitute, and we used to pick patients from the street. We would bring them here, we would give bath, we would…but it so happened, the first patient who we picked from the street was diagnosed as HIV, as positive (airplane break).
dedciated to the care of hiv/aids patients
destitutes in bangalore
dhyanam
hiv positive
snehadaan
streets
Talks about the history of SNEHADAAN and the ST. CAMILLUS philosophy of being SERVANTS OF THE SICK that it is based on.
The first patient who we picked from the street was diagnosed HIV positive. And that was the time we were getting some news from Chennai and Bombay that HIV positive persons are known, and tested. So then we had a brother called Luka. He was a nurse, and he was the head of this institute, and he was, at the same time, working in St John's in Isolation Ward. Then we as a group came together, decided, and dedicated this house for HIV/Aids patients, and then on this house is for a…to take care of people living with HIV for…Though the shift has taken place in terms of our treatment, care; now __ that has been. But primarily now this is for HIV/Aids care. When I say the group which came in talked this, see we are a religious group of people called Camellians. Camellians…is called order of St Camillus. With the vision and the mission to take care of sick people, you know. This is…our saint, or our father, one who began this is a person called St Camillus. 400 years back he started this group. And we are known – servants of the sick. And his mandate, or his dream was to…taking care of the patients like a mother who takes care of her child who is ill. And the only child who is actually ill. So that is the passion that he has put in the members, and all those people who join this order are called servants of the sick, and the only ministry that we are doing is to take care of the sick. And now we are spread out in 37 countries, and in India we have 8 centres, in India. But 5 of them are attached to care homes of HIV/Aids.
bombay
camellians
chennai
eight centers in india
first patient was hiv positive
hiv positive persons
hiv/aids patient care
isolation ward
ministry
religious order
saint john
servants of the sick
snehadaan
st. camillus
Talks about how people hear about SNEHADAAN through doctors, other patients, and other organizations and networks.
(J : How do people get to know?) Oh ya. People…see it's many ways, many ways people…most of the cases that come here are referred by doctors. See all over Karnataka…see we have links with KSAPS, that is the Karnataka Aids Prevention Society, and also ICHAP, which is India Canada Collaborative Effort. So those people conduct training programmes for doctors, counselors, __ counselors, and all…teachers. Any training that they have, one day or half day of the training program is here in this centre. So that's how doctors all over Karnataka know about this centre. So patients are referred here through doctors, patients are referred here...you know,peer groups. Some patients go back home, they tell others, and they, you know. Sometimes, one or two or three times, it has come out in paper. That's how they come. And all the hospitals in Bangalore. Anytime they feel this is HIV/Aids case difficult to manage, or something happen, they always refer. It happens in many ways. But certain times we are not able to admit everyone and take care because of certain reasons like the staff. For example if you see, in November we had…ten people died. December 11 people died. So it was all, it was bringing you know, a kind of despair for the staff, you know…why people? I said, slowly reduce down the number, and now we are little set, and we can, you know, we go…So we don't need to go here, like, you know, for patients, but they are referred. But average of 35 to 45 we keep always, you know, because we are supported by, I mean, and we can manage.
bangalore
conduct training programs
hiv/aids
ichap
india canada collaborative effort
karnataka
karnataka aids prevention society
ksaps
peer groups
referrals
snehadaan
Talks about the THREE LEVELS OF CARE that the center provides.
(J : Patients come and go?) Our facility is on a broad base, it's on three levels that we have come up with, unlike previous years. Previous years once they came in, they were here only for, because of the social situation and they didn't know what to do. We also didn't know what to do, so… we had an occupational therapy unit. So they, it became a rehabilitation centre, hospice where they lived. But now it is not so. It's like a treatment centre, and different levels. So three broad categories that we, just to, just for our practical purposes. One is for counseling purpose. Suppose the person is diagnosed HIV positive, he or she is frustrated, does not know where to go about, may have received some, you know, false information. Not, not false, not proper information. So such people can contact us anytime, and be here two to three days, mainly for some counseling support. They go through some counseling process, our counselor does. Then they are discharged and they are on our follow up list. And everytime they can access us, once a month they come over, or our counselor or me give a call sometime, and talk to them. So it's also giving them an assurance that there's a place they can go anytime they want. And also we can go for some behaviour modification if needed. Or we can refill in them life that they can give..and we have a group of such people who are living outside. So we try to meet them some place, or we get them here sometime to, you know, meet and talk. That is one specific group that we are addressing. That stage is for two, three days, a week maximum. Because the person may not be willing to tell the family, or the boss, or the company people, school. That's to be maintained as confidential. Another sort of…that's where we have more people, is for the treatment of opportunistic infections. That is the period we say, generally two to three weeks or three weeks. So whatever is the common infections…Few years have gone, slowly symptoms are emerging that's apparently seen. So those things are treated. That period can be two weeks, three weeks, one month, one and…that depends upon our assessment at the beginning. The patient and the family. Because we make an assessment on their financial condition, because we make an assessment about their family's social situation, we make an assessment on all what they can, you know, tell us. And also their affordability. And also we clearly tell what we can actually offer, and whatever can be done here we do it. And whatever they need to take, so that is set over a longer period, where we need to make a clear plan, that takes time, you know, because…some symptoms you can treat with one week, and others, may not be. So the duration depends…we determine. And that is one category of people they stay here for longer time.
affordability
behaviour modification
confidential
counseling purpose
false information
hiv positive
hospice
occupational therapy unit
rehabilitation center
social situation
three levels of care
treatment center
treatment for opportunistic infections
Another category of people whom we offer services for the palliative care, palliative care means end of life. You know, there isn't much medically that you can do in a hospital, and also the homes, in their own homes. So to, you know, it's not nice to say, but they would become a burden for other family members where the family members might feel it's very difficult to take care, because only the breadwinner, as I told you, would have to work behind and stay at home and take care of the…That category of people we admit here, and we take care. That is where, that is the time we prepare them to, you know, die peacefully, leave this world with a happy mind that there is someone who is, who has loved me; you know, prepare them to die peacefully. Giving all that dignity possible, that's…so this is the three broad categories. Then added to that we have children, so we it's a tertiary care, home for children., because in the city there is one centre for children, Infant Jesus Children's Home. So whenever children are sick there, they bring the child here. We admit for a week or two, maximum a week, and we send them back. Or Mangalore we have another centre, there also children. So when the whole family is infected, children would be here. Now, right now, we have 4 children here. So for the medical treatment we keep the children here. Then we try to work with the other centres to send them back.
The third category of people is dedicated to PALLIATIVE CARE or END OF LIFE CARE.
die peacefully
end of life care
home for children
infant jesus children's home
mangalore
medical care at hospitals is limited
medical treatment
palliative care
tertiary care
Talks about the INCREASE IN ADMISSIONS to the center.
changing strategy
increase in admissions
(J : Have you seen an increase in number?) Ya, tremendously. See, if you look at the statistics, till about 2000, the number of admissions was very less, very stagnant. If 40 people came, they were there for all through the year, all through the year. But of recent you see more number being admitted and discharged. That is because we have changed our strategy. When we realised, when we worked with the KSAPs, when we worked with NACO, when we worked with…So we realised, more cases are coming in and you take the..this is a very healthy, and they are just here. Then we felt something is wrong with us. It's only last two years that we have shifted our focus and we thought we should go in for treatment. Now you see the number of patients coming in, in-patients number is increasing. So this is a, I won't say there were not many people, but it was due to our strategy that we were not able to access to…but our, now our focus is to reach as many people as…Last year we admitted, we had admitted 200, more than 200 people, admitted here. And around 90, 190 were discharged. We have 52 people who died, 52. And around more than 150 are on our follow up list, you know. They are discharged, they are at home, they are doing their own work, but they are keep, you know, we keep in touch. Once a month meeting them, or they come over here, or we give a phone call, or meet them so there is a follow up.
ksaps
naco
treatment
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