Testing times

This month we did something new. Giri Nayak, our HIV counsellor, attended a meeting held at the government hospital of all the govt. HIV testing centres in the Thane District. He attended it because we are now one of those centres (called ICTCs - integrated counselling and testing centres).

We have been running our ICTC for over a year now. But for most of the time we have been limping along. One month would see 10 people tested. Then another 6. And so it went.

In early August Giri shared these figures with the government official in charge of the centres. He said that we needed to see more people tested.

We agreed.

So during August we ramped up our testing work. We printed a small handbill and had it added to the morning paper runs in some key neighbourhoods. We gave handbills to autorickshaw drivers. We held an awareness and testing camp with BIDS - a local NGO. We had Naveen visit local medical stores and doctors and tell about our programme. Naveen and Nimit also visited a local industrial area and talked to workers there.

The numbers of people being tested increased. On the 31st of August I asked Giri how many people had been tested so far.

He said 35 had been tested.

I was a tad dissappointed as we had put ourselves a mental target of seeing 50 people tested.

Wouldn't it be nice, I thought, if we could at least make it to 40?

I asked the Peter to spare the home-based care team at lunch - and requested that they make a short outreach programme to the industrial area. Who knows - maybe we will reach 40! We prayed.

Later in the afternoon I came to the centre and saw chappals lined up outside the door. I walked in to see young men whom I had not seen before. In the lab a row of test-tubes stood - each labelled and containing a blood sample. There were 11 test-tubes of blood. We cracked 40 - and ended up with 46 people tested during August!

Why is it important to get numbers?

One is for credibility with the government. We know that we are doing good work - but it is important to be partners in the continuum of health. If for some reason we have to shut shop tomorrow, we do not want our friends to be treatment orphans. We are working towards becoming a partner in ART therapy with the government - and the succesful running of a testing and counselling centre is a first step towards this.

Another is because when we test people - they have a chance. A chance to change. A chance to face up to reality. A chance to take charge of their lives. And the more people at risk (which is a very very large number) who are tested - the more options they have.

For every 'negative' result we get - we let out a happy sigh of relief. But it is so important that the young man or woman understand that they now need to see real changes in their behaviours or we will not be giving a happy sigh anymore. HIV infection is like a light switch - its either 'on' or 'off'. There is no inbetween. And once its 'on' - there is no 'off' left. The switch is stuck permanently 'on.'

For those with HIV. We are glad that we can test them here. And then be able to directly counsel them about fighting the infection - and prolonging their lives. We are glad that it is us talking to them - though it is hard for us to share the news - rather that them getting the result in some little lab where the technician just gives them a slip of paper with 'HIV antibody reactive' printed on it.

And so we plunge into September. Will we be able to test more people than the 46 that we did in August?

We hope so.