Sahara Michae's Care Home II: HIV Patients and IV Drug Users

Tuesday 6/5/07



Today we had our second day of rotations at Sahara Michael’s Care Home for PLWHA. Dr. Gupte with whom we are supposed to have ward rotations was out of town today so we interacted with a patient there named Urmila who’s been receiving care at the center for HIV. Her daughter Anjali is also staying with her, she’s 5 years old and very cute. We played with Anjali while Urmila told us of how she contracted HIV. Her husband is a trucker and when she first found out her positive status, she blamed him for it, accusing him of being unfaithful, however, he tested negative.


She mentioned that for a couple of years she complained of aches and pains and would go to her local doctor, who would give her injections for just about any ailment she presented with, which we’re learning is a pretty common practice. She mentioned the injections would often be more painful than the original condition and would not help her symptoms at all. As a result, she has surmised that she was infected by dirty needle use by her local practitioner, which is a fairly common problem in rural areas as mentioned earlier in my blog. Apparently they just wash the reusable syringe under tap water and use it on the next patient. This in my humble opinion is a crime against humanity to be transmitting HIV to a unsuspecting and often illiterate population. Her husband continues to be supportive of her and Urmila is receiving good care at Sahara.

We also talked with Ompraksh, a man in his mid forties, who became addicted to drugs at the age of 10 and used just about any drug he could get his hands on for most of his adult life. He said one day he was sitting and smoking (don’t know what exactly ganga perhaps?) and a foreign stranger who spoke Hindi approached him and asked him why he doesn’t quit. Ompraksh replied he had nothing and nobody to live for so he’d quit when he dies. The stranger told him he could help him quit and took him to Sahara Care home and as a result Ompraksh has been sober for the last 8 years. He’s tried to look for the stranger but now believes that this stranger was a godsend. He now works for SMCH. Most of Sahara’s staff is actually ex addicts and as such they understand the daily struggles of their patients.

Anjali

After lunch we talked to Auntie Jennie, an older lady who’s the counselor at Sahara. According to her, patients or clients as they call them come in when they’ve hit rock bottom or have been exhibiting high fever, diarrhea and canditis or have been referred to Sahara after testing positive in other hospitals. They are they sent to be detoxed at an offsite center for 15 days and then receive mental rehabilitation for six months. Rehab teaches them to accept responsibility, be honest and accept their addiction. Sahara also treats addicts for abscesses they’ve developed as a result of injection drug use. The center also educates the patient and family on taking precaution when the patient returns home. According to Auntie Jennie SMCH requires two things when patients or clients as they refer to them come in: 1. Hygiene: they wash and groom their clients and 2. Discipline: because discipline is required for ART adherence, which must be taken on a daily basis at the same time.

At Sahara Michael's Care Home

After work we took our taxi to Delhi Haat a swat meet like shopping center and purchased some gifts and I did my first bargaining, it came naturally to me, perhaps because I’m Armenian and it’s in the blood. Sejal says I still paid too much, but all in all it comes to be very cheap in American dollars and I don’t mind contributing to the local economy. This is a skill that I’m going to work on honing however, because it was too much fun!
Tomorrow we’re again at Sahara and Saturday we’re supposed to finally head off to Jaipur, but this is India and anything can change.

I miss you all, but I’m having a great time. I’m beginning to see the spirituality that I’ve been seeking, especially now that I’m getting sleep. So please keep your fingers and toes crossed that I will continue to sleep so that I can continue on my journey. I hope you’re all well and I love you.