HIV influences lives of both - the ones infected and those affected.
Behind the pandemic are the faces of those who struggle daily with the ravages of the virus, and the faces of community workers who work silently behind the scenes - dedicating their lives to help people stay healthy and alive.
These community workers are dedicated to the cause, showering empathy and awareness, spreading cheer to people who have drowned in misery, and showing hope where none existed. They are the face of the rights-based approach to HIV.
Krupa Prasad Kendra, supported by Avert Society in Nashik district, is one such organization that is proud of its resilient members. Of the many dedicated people working in Krupa Prasad Kendra, Rajesh is one who has given up his day job to work for the Kendra. It has been an entirely altruistic exercise – the remuneration being tremendous work satisfaction. The challenges have also been surmounting.
When the Kendra began its work in the field of HIV/AIDS, they set up community Care Centers (CCCs) that helped provide people living with HIV/AIDS with comprehensive care, treatment and support services. As a part of the team Ramesh knew the importance of treating opportunistic infections and realized that setting up an inpatient delivery system was the need of the hour.
CCCs not only provide health services but also cater to the mental and emotional needs of those affected by HIV/AIDS, through counseling services.
There were practical hurdles in the path of progress. Dealing with client visits, data flow and monitoring requirements without a standardized format in place caused problems. Ramesh at his end had to constantly keep up with paperwork and also ensure that clients were serviced in time.
The Kendra sought the help of Avert Society with whom they were affiliated since 2004. Technical assistance was sought to develop a standard procedure for all CCCs to help manage operations more systematically. The centers would then adapt the procedure to their own specific local needs. These were called Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
The introduction of SOPs helped Ramesh immensely. A checklist for each protocol was developed, further strengthening the monitoring process.
It was now possible to identify gaps in the chain of activities. Corrective measures to reduce the gaps could now be taken by reducing the margin of error. But most of all, SOPs helped strengthen the quality of service delivered to the client. Changes to service provision meant increasing customer satisfaction and set a precedent to increase word of mouth referrals into the CCCs.
Ramesh now spends more time with the people who really matter - the clients. Life has been free from the shackles of paperwork and monitoring systems.
His time is dedicated to the things he really loves to do - listening and caring.