HIV/AIDS counsellors will now have to be a bit considerate while dealing with the patients.
At a recent Gujarat State Grievance Redressal Committee for HIV/AIDS meeting on Thursday; HIV/AIDS patients claimed that they are not comfortable when counsellors ask them specific questions.
Now, the Gujarat State AIDS Control Society (GSACS) has decided to give the counsellors proper training regarding their conduct with the HIV/AIDS patients.
GSACS Additional Director Dr Pradeep Kumar said: “According to the Supreme Court guidelines, the state grievance redressal committee is supposed to meet every two months. Health Commissioner Vijay Lakshmi Joshi heads the committee.”
Kumar added: “Two main issues came out at the meeting — one being the conduct of the counsellors. The HIV/AIDS patients are not comfortable with the way the queries are made to them.
He said the manner in which questions are asked about the sexual orientation of the patients will be changed.
He added: “There are around 12 Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) centres in Gujarat and nearly five more are likely to come up in six months. Immediately, 52 counsellors will be informed about this development and we will conduct the training with the help of the experts, soon.”
Dr Kumar further said: “In yet another development, the committee will directly respond to the HIV/AIDS patients in case any complaint is made to it.”
He added: “This will be done provided the patient has given his/her name and address to the grievance redressal. If the patient wants to maintain anonymity, the response will be pasted on the notice board of the ART centre nearest to the place from where the letter was posted.”
