Jyothis Community Care Center (Geared up to take on AIDS challenge) Navi Mumbai has got its first ever Community Care Centre (CCC) for AIDS patients at the Jyothis Care Centre at Kalamboli. This is the only CCC for AIDS patients in the entire Raigad district. The centre, which has been set up at sector 11, Kalamboli, is being funded by NACO in collaboration with the Karnataka Health Promotion Trust. Started on October 1, 2008, the centre is already receiving good response. Everyday, nearly 18 patients visit the centre.

CCCs were conceived under the National AIDS Control Programme to provide treatment for minor illnesses that HIV positive persons are highly susceptible to. With the introduction of Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) for controlling the disease, CCCs are now linked to the ART centers and play a critical role in enabling people living with HIV/AIDS to access ART, as well as providing monitoring and counseling services.

A full-time doctor at the CCC, the centre has tremendous significance for the district. "Everywhere, the success rate of ART has been quite high after the introduction of CCCs,"

Explaining the situation of patients in the district so far, "If the patient is staying at Panvel and has to go all the way to JJ hospital for treatment, at some stage, he or she might find the distance too much and may give up the ART, i e, miss out on the regular dose of tablets. .

These patients are enrolled with a government programme, which means that they cannot afford expensive treatment. If they can't travel far for treatment, they may end up in a private hospital where the treatment is costly. On the other hand, if patients give up the therapy, then the ART programme fails." The CCC now acts as a back-up to ensure that such patients do not slip through. Such patients can now receive a good support and proper follow up on their treatment from the CCC

"The ART centers inform us if a patient stops the treatment. Outreach workers visit the patient's home if required. Adherence of patients to the programme helps in controlling the AIDS disease, though it cannot control the spread of HIV infection, which can only be controlled by awareness,"

For some time when this Jyothis was started and there were comparatively very few patients at the time. Now because of awareness, more people are coming forward for treatment and even the relatives are no longer scared to visit."

HIV positive people can avail of free consultation and outpatient care at the centre. If required, patients will be admitted free of charge and given free food and medicines. 10 beds are sponsored by NACO for the centre, while the remaining 30 beds have been sponsored by the hospital. Patients are also referred for counseling and vocational training through a network of organizations. The CCCs also maintain a record of cases and treatment, which helps in improving services. "The sad part is that private doctors don't refer their patients to us."

The patients, on their part, are very relieved that they are being provided so much support at a place close to home. Now things have got better for them with a new ART centre that has started functioning from January 1 this year at Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital at Khalapur, Raigad

So far, more than 25 patients have been registered, but the centre eventually hopes to reach out to 800-1,000 patients all over Raigad district. Navi Mumbai has existing ART centers, but the patients from Panvel and Kalamboli areas find it easier to come here.

CCCs were conceived under the National AIDS Control Programme to provide treatment for minor illnesses that HIV positive people.