By Matters India Reporter
Bangalore: Snehadaan, the first Community Care Centre (CCC) for people living with HIVs in Karnataka State in South India run by the Camillians of the ‘Order of the ministers of Sick’ founded by St. Camillus around 450 years ago, is bringing hope and care to HIV/AIDS patients in India.
“Our task is to provide care, treatment and support for the sick. It is a 50 bedded facility for the treatment & care of PLHIV with at least 10 beds dedicated to the palliative care,” Father Biju Mathew, toldMatters India.
Snehadaan Care Center for people living with HIV was established in 2003, to coordinate the HIV/AIDS care initiatives in India. At present, the trust runs five centres (Snehadaan, Bangalore, Snehasadan, Mangalore, Snehatheeram, Kochi, Sneha Kiran, Secunderabad and Sneha Agnes, Nagpur).
Snehadaan is the pioneering centre for providing care and support to the people living with HIV and training of health care personnel in the HIV/ AIDS care field.
“Our vision is to provide quality health care to the sick, that is comprehensive and holistic, with a preferential option for the people infected and affected with HIV/AIDS,” said Father Mathew.
“It is our desire to be a positive force in addressing the comprehensive needs of the HIV infected persons, ensuring their dignity and overall quality of life, by motivating, caring, supporting and rehabilitating them, with a priority for the palliative care of those who are in the end stage of the disease,” he added.
It is one of the most challenging, creative and demanding initiatives of Camillians. It has a radical and distinctively global healthcare action – care and support to people living with HIV/AIDS, destitute, mentally and physically challenged children, training in quality healthcare management, vocational rehabilitation, training and job placement. The trust has also been holding hands with the national programmes and international programmes of care implemented through various government and non-governmental agencies.
People face stigma and taboo associated with HIV infection and consequent denial of hospital treatment and rejection from the society experienced by those infected, Father Mathew said.
India has the third largest HIV epidemic in the world. In 2016, HIV prevalence in India was an estimated 0.3%. This figure is small compared to most other middle-income countries but because of India’s huge population (1.324 billion), this equates to 2.1 million people living with HIV. In the same year, an estimated 62,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses.