http://www.hindu.com/2005/05/03/stories/2005050303451300.htm
Suicides by HIV positive patients in Mumbai Meena Menon People feel there is a feeling of neglect MUMBAI: : At around 7 a.m. on April 19, 28-year-old Sanjay (name changed) jumped off the fifth floor of the government-run J. J. hospital in South Mumbai. Sanjay had tested HIV positive two days earlier. Sources point out that no one noticed that he was missing from the ward where he had been admitted and added that he was lying unnoticed where he had fallen, for two hours. Sanjay's was not the only suicide in J. J. hospital in April. The day after this incident, another HIV positive patient, who was admitted in the same ward with a respiratory infection, jumped off the fifth floor, injuring himself. He died soon after. The day before Sanjay died, an unemployed sweeper who was HIV positive, had committed suicide in Mulund, a northeastern suburb of Mumbai. With three suicides that are HIV related in April, the focus is once again on the kind of services that are being provided to HIV positive people and the efforts that are being made to ensure they have the capacity to cope with their situation. Apex institution The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) identifies J. J. Hospital as an apex institution for AIDS management. It is funding a range of services there, including an anti-retroviral (ARV) unit that treats people free. The hospital has experts in the field and also houses an autonomous AIDS Research and Control Centre (ARCON), specialising in counselling services. J. J. Hospital has been treating HIV positive cases since 1989. There are no exclusive wards for HIV positive people. Dean of J. J. Hospital Pravin Shingare told The Hindu that Sanjay lay unnoticed for only 15 to 20 minutes. He clarified that his absence had been noticed in the ward and the staff had informed the police that the patient was absconding. He says there are two reasons for these suicides. People feel they will not be cured and there is a feeling of neglect. "There is a psychological breakdown; the brain is affected and they get suicidal," he says. In this context, care and support services become crucial. The NACO supported anti-retroviral (ARV) unit at the J. J. hospital, treats people free of cost. There are about 1,600 people on ARV at the hospital already. It treats about 100 HIV positive people a day, of the total 1,300 out-patients. Proposal Manisha Sen, project director of ARCON, says that after the suicides, the centre was looking at a proposal to collate services with the hospital. "There is an acute lack of good counselling services. You need proper clinical psychologists, a unified approach and a team of people including a social worker, and a clinician as well," she said. http://ww1.mid-day.com/news/city/2005/april/107906.htm JJ gets counsellors for HIV patients By: Resha Desai April 22, 2005 --------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------- "Out of the 16 HIV positive patients in JJ Hospital's ward 7, two have had thoughts of suicide. Six patients are showing signs of depression," said Dr V Kale, associate professor, department of psychiatry, Grant Medical College, who has been asked by Dr P S Shingare, dean, JJ Hospital, to start a new counselling programme for HIV positive patients at the hospital. These figures have rattled JJ Hospital authorities especially in light of the three recent suicides by HIV patients. Dr Kale added that, "Half the HIV+ patients are not mentally disturbed at having AIDS. A four-member team conducted intensive counselling sessions for the patients of ward 7 yesterday and prescribed anti-depressant drugs for some patients. These cases will be reviewed in eight days." Dr Shingare says there will be counselling sessions at least twice a week. "We want to encourage peer group counselling by inviting HIV positive counsellors from various NGOs — which should help our patients." The counselling is not restricted to the patients. The hospital is also holding special training programmes for doctors, nurses and ward boys so that they are able to deal with HIV+ patients better. "Grills and shutters will also be put up on open windows. We may also relocate ward 7 from the fifth floor to the second," adds Dr Shingare. He hopes this will foil any suicide plans. Heavy security will also be posted outside the ward for at least two to three weeks. "After that we will review the situation and see how effective this measure has been," says Dr Shingare. Meanwhile, S Shetty, state minister for medical education, technical education, higher education and tourism, visited the hospital yesterday to review the situation and inspect the premises ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Does he tell you he loves you when he's hitting you? Abuse. Narrated by Halle Berry. http://us.click.yahoo.com/aFQ_rC/isnJAA/E2hLAA/WfTolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Group Site: http://www.gaybombay.info ========================== NEW CLASSIFIEDS SECTION SEEKING FRIENDS? VISIT www.gaybombay.info click on classified section and type your message in the post section once the link opens This message was posted to the gay_bombay Yahoo! Group. Responses to messages (by clicking "Reply") will also be posted on the eGroup and sent to all members. If you'd like to respond privately to the author of any message then please compose and send a new email message to the author's email address. 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