Thursday, February 16, 2006

Stuck in traffic

Stuck in traffic

Peter de Souza & Preetu Nair

(The article appeared in GT Weekender, Panjim edition, January 29, 2006)


An National Human Rights Commission report conducted by the Institute of Social Sciences on trafficking of women and children in India 2002-2003", reveals that Goa has the highest levels of trafficking of women and children compared to other states. Peter De Souza and Preetu Nair goes behind the statistics and zero's in on the men and women who add to the traffic on Goa's sex highway. And it's piling up. Tragically there are no rules or committed policemen to even control, far less eradicate this jam that is ruining our land

Calangute/ Colva: Welcome to the kingdom. This is not quite the Alice in Wonderland and this story does not go through the rabbit hole but it sure does go through a hell hole, and there is no mad hatter's tea party but surely a crazy sex party. This is not a fairy tale for children Coz there are no fairies or fairy Godmothers, just trafficking women who pose as mothers.

And unlike Alice in Wonderland, where a rabbit leads Alice to the fascinating adventure, in Goa, you have characters like "The Jackal", "Sex" and "Hoyo" who perform a medley of vice and torture, to take Goa to the top of charts in India's sex traffic map.

Trafficking has acquired grave dimensions in the state after Baina demolition (Red light area in Vasco demolished in 2004). The trafficker is no more a gharwali or brothel keeper and there is more sophistication, complexity and consolidation of trafficking networks. Further, sex tourism has generated a high demand for virgin girls and young children.

Many tourists now demand young children, in view of the popular myth that sex with virgins can cure them of HIV and other serious diseases. Besides, it is reliably learnt that the pain that the children undergo during intercourse, gives the abuser the thrill. Sadly enough, though sex tourism and related trafficking of women and children is increasing, what is shocking is the response of the concerned agencies, which has adopted a lackadaisical attitude and shows no will to combat sex tourism.

Our investigations revealed that organised crime of trafficking revolves around two master traffickers: Carlos, the Jackal in North Goa and Raju in South Goa. At the moment they are arch manipulators, chief profiteers, master criminals and the kingpin of the entire trafficking operations in the state. But they manage and modulate all activities and transactions in such a way that they remain unnoticed. Further, GT investigations reveal that to ensure that the trade goes on unhindered, they pay the police and politicians not only in cash but also in kind, which often includes allowing 'free sex' with the trafficked victims.

Meet the merchants of the human trade in Goa:

  • Carlos, the Jackal, who hails from Pomburpa had escaped from judicial local-up at Margao somewhere in August. He has 150 cases of extortion and robbery at almost all police stations in Goa. And it is reliably learnt that he strengthened his flesh trade operations while in jail.

At the moment he is living and operating from a huge rented house in Ucassaim, which surrounded by thick forest. His modus operandi is simple: He purchases Lamani, Rajasthani children, children of rag pickers and even from as far as Orissa, Bihar and Tamil Nadu between the ages of eight and twelve for Rs 30,000 or even less through unscrupulous agents whom he had met in jail. These children are trafficked to Goa by a woman, who poses to be the child's mother, to escape the clutches of the law. Once in Goa, the children are handed over to Carlos's accomplice, a woman nicknamed Hoyo from Anjuna. Hoyo, a sex worker, supplies these kids to foreigners from Anjuna, Calangute and Sinquerim. These children are sent as a helping hand along with a woman (who claims to be their mother), who is also incidentally in the flesh trade, as a maid. The charge per child ranges from $ 1000 to 2000 a month. Younger the child, higher the price. But the child only gets mere Rs 2000 to 3000 for his services, while the fictitious mother gets Rs 5,000. Carlos and his gang members share the rest.

Our investigations reveal that in Calangute and Sinquerim alone there are at least forty rich and elderly foreigners who openly live with children and click pornographic pictures. Though Carlos is the most wanted criminal in Goa, he moves around freely on a Yamaha bikes, without any fear of the police or child activists.

  • Raju's operations are almost similar to Carlos. But his earning per child is almost double than that of Carlos. Just like Carlos, Raju also purchases children between the age of eight and eleven from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh for Rs 30,000 or less and trafficks them to Goa through a fictitious mother. His main accomplice is not a woman; but a man, a shack owner in Colva nicknamed Sex. Sex's job is to provide bikes and young children to foreigners and he carries on with his trade without any hindrance, as his godfather is a top and controversial politician from South Goa.

While Raju hails from Tamil Nadu and stays in Colva- Betalbatim and looks after a foreigner's bungalow, Sex hails from Potwado, Colva. They also have an Italian partner, who runs a prominent Italian restaurant near the fish market in South, and has connection with rich foreign tourists along the entire beach belt in the South. Sex takes children in a large vehicle with tinted glasses to the Italian, who in turn supplies them to rich foreigners, including Europeans and Arabs.

When contacted Santosh Vaidya, Secretary, Women and Child said that he was not aware of these illegal operators. But he admitted that trafficking is a really a matter of concern. "That's why we had brought the Goa Children's Act which clearly defines trafficking. After the Act was introduced, there has been a check on trafficking. But also a co-ordinated action is required from everyone," admitted Vaidya.

"We have not heard of them, not at least by these names. Illegal trafficking of girls and children for the flesh trade is not high in Goa. Delhi is way ahead of Goa. I talk about this from experience," added DIG Ujjwal Mishra.

Goa serves as a source, transit and destination where thousands of young girls and children are exploited day in and day out. Often, the actors in the trafficking network collaborate and protect each other. Just check out the types of prostitution phenomenon in Goa and the traffickers:

TYPES OF PROSTITUTION PHENOMENON IN GOA

  • Brothel based prostitution: Baina & Margao
  • Street based prostitution: Vasco, Margao, Colva, Panjim, Calangute, Anjuna
  • Hotel based prostitution: All over Goa
  • Vehicle based prostitution: North & South Goa tourist belt

    Traffickers
  • Brothel keepers previously operating in Baina
  • Few pilots ( Two wheeler taxi) and taxi owners
  • Few hotels and lodges in the tourist areas and on the highways - Karwar, Molem & Sawantwadi

It is generally believed that trafficking is driven by a demand for women's and children's bodies in the sex industry, fuelled by a supply of women and children denied equal rights and opportunities. But trafficking is not just limited to flesh trade. Check out the trafficking in its manifestations:

1. Trafficking for sex-based exploitation, i.e. for brothel based and non-brothel based commercial sexual exploitation, pornography, paedophilia, sex tourism, mail-order bride system, disguised sexual abuse in the garb of massage parlours, beauty parlours, bartending, friendship clubs.

2. Trafficking for non-sex-based exploitation, including a vast area of servitude, slavery and exploitation, either as bonded or forced labour or using them as drug peddlers, for begging, giving in adoption, trading in human organs, trafficking for false marriages and other similar exploitative practices.

The study, "A report on trafficking of women and children in India 2002-2003", reveals that Goa has the highest levels of trafficking of women and children compared to other states. However, though inter-state trafficking is high, the intra-state trafficking is a minimal with only 0.6 percentage, just as in the case of Delhi.

The study commissioned by National Human Rights Commission was carried out with the support of UNIFEM and conducted by the Institute of Social Sciences (ISS) also confirms that trafficking, though not reported from many places, is happening almost everywhere.

Based on primary data collected through interviews of 4006 persons in 13 states and Union Territories, including victims, exploiters and perpetrators, the study encompasses major areas of trafficking. On one hand, the study confirmed that majority of trafficked persons are girl children and on the other hand it negated certain popular myths that the clientele who visit the brothels or abuse trafficked girls are men who live away from their families and, therefore, look for options to satisfy their sexual urges.

"The exploitation of women and children takes place not only before trafficking, but also during trafficking and after trafficking. The rights of the trafficked persons are violated with impunity. They are subjected to physical and emotional harm from sexual assault to economic deprivation, and violation of human dignity," the study reveals.

What is shocking is that even the post-trafficking scenario finds the victim at the end of the tunnel, with almost no hope of survival. The victim is subjected to different types of conceivable and inconceivable acts of perversion and exploitation. Further, the law enforcement, in most places, violates the rights of victims as the common practice is to arrest, chargesheet, prosecute and convict the trafficked victims, the study confirmed.

"Even in Goa the target of action is not the traffickers but the trafficked victims. Statistics reveal that most of the offences booked under ITPA relates to sec 7 and 8 are against trafficked victims and not against the traffickers. Trafficked victims are arrested but no customer, pimp, transport agent, lodge owner, hotel owner, taxi owner, etc are arrested, though the law is very clear that those who commercialize prostitution and those who benefit from the earning from prostitution are committing an offence", said Arun Pandey, ARZ, who conducted the study for ISS in Goa.

NAME: CARLOS, THE 'JACKAL'
Hails from : Pomburpa
Now lives in : Huge Rented House in Ucassaim,
Violation: 15O Cases of
Extortion and Robbery
Traffic Operation: buys children from Rajasthan, Orissa and Bihar for Rs 30,000 each who are trafficked to Goa by a woman posing as their mother
Preferred vehicle: Yamaha bike
Traffic partner: Hoyo, a woman

Name : HOYO
Lives in: Anjuna
Occupation: Sex worker cum Trafficker
Traffic operation: Supplies Children to foreigners from Anjuna, Calangute and Sinquerim. Children are sent with a woman (who claims to be their mother).
Traffic 'toll tax' to be paid by customers: $ 1000 to 2000 a month. Child gets a mere Rs 2000 and the "mother", Rs 5000


NAME: RAJU
Hails from: Tamil Nadu
Now lives in: Colva-Betalbatim
Traffic operation: Buys children between the age of eight and eleven from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh for Rs 30,000 or less and traffick's them to Goa through a fictitious mother
Traffic partner: A Shack owner called 'sex'. (Yes you read it right)

NAME: SEX
Hails from: Potwado, Colva
Traffic operation: Takes children in a large vehicle with tinted glasses to an Italian, who in turn supplies them to rich foreigners, including Europeans and Arabs.
Traffic partner: THE ITALIAN who runs a prominent Italian restaurant near a fish market in South Goa

Stuck in traffic

Peter de Souza & Preetu Nair

(The article appeared in GT Weekender, Panjim edition, January 29, 2006)


An National Human Rights Commission report conducted by the Institute of Social Sciences on trafficking of women and children in India 2002-2003", reveals that Goa has the highest levels of trafficking of women and children compared to other states. Peter De Souza and Preetu Nair goes behind the statistics and zero's in on the men and women who add to the traffic on Goa's sex highway. And it's piling up. Tragically there are no rules or committed policemen to even control, far less eradicate this jam that is ruining our land

Calangute/ Colva: Welcome to the kingdom. This is not quite the Alice in Wonderland and this story does not go through the rabbit hole but it sure does go through a hell hole, and there is no mad hatter's tea party but surely a crazy sex party. This is not a fairy tale for children Coz there are no fairies or fairy Godmothers, just trafficking women who pose as mothers.

And unlike Alice in Wonderland, where a rabbit leads Alice to the fascinating adventure, in Goa, you have characters like "The Jackal", "Sex" and "Hoyo" who perform a medley of vice and torture, to take Goa to the top of charts in India's sex traffic map.

Trafficking has acquired grave dimensions in the state after Baina demolition (Red light area in Vasco demolished in 2004). The trafficker is no more a gharwali or brothel keeper and there is more sophistication, complexity and consolidation of trafficking networks. Further, sex tourism has generated a high demand for virgin girls and young children.

Many tourists now demand young children, in view of the popular myth that sex with virgins can cure them of HIV and other serious diseases. Besides, it is reliably learnt that the pain that the children undergo during intercourse, gives the abuser the thrill. Sadly enough, though sex tourism and related trafficking of women and children is increasing, what is shocking is the response of the concerned agencies, which has adopted a lackadaisical attitude and shows no will to combat sex tourism.

Our investigations revealed that organised crime of trafficking revolves around two master traffickers: Carlos, the Jackal in North Goa and Raju in South Goa. At the moment they are arch manipulators, chief profiteers, master criminals and the kingpin of the entire trafficking operations in the state. But they manage and modulate all activities and transactions in such a way that they remain unnoticed. Further, GT investigations reveal that to ensure that the trade goes on unhindered, they pay the police and politicians not only in cash but also in kind, which often includes allowing 'free sex' with the trafficked victims.

Meet the merchants of the human trade in Goa:

  • Carlos, the Jackal, who hails from Pomburpa had escaped from judicial local-up at Margao somewhere in August. He has 150 cases of extortion and robbery at almost all police stations in Goa. And it is reliably learnt that he strengthened his flesh trade operations while in jail.

At the moment he is living and operating from a huge rented house in Ucassaim, which surrounded by thick forest. His modus operandi is simple: He purchases Lamani, Rajasthani children, children of rag pickers and even from as far as Orissa, Bihar and Tamil Nadu between the ages of eight and twelve for Rs 30,000 or even less through unscrupulous agents whom he had met in jail. These children are trafficked to Goa by a woman, who poses to be the child's mother, to escape the clutches of the law. Once in Goa, the children are handed over to Carlos's accomplice, a woman nicknamed Hoyo from Anjuna. Hoyo, a sex worker, supplies these kids to foreigners from Anjuna, Calangute and Sinquerim. These children are sent as a helping hand along with a woman (who claims to be their mother), who is also incidentally in the flesh trade, as a maid. The charge per child ranges from $ 1000 to 2000 a month. Younger the child, higher the price. But the child only gets mere Rs 2000 to 3000 for his services, while the fictitious mother gets Rs 5,000. Carlos and his gang members share the rest.

Our investigations reveal that in Calangute and Sinquerim alone there are at least forty rich and elderly foreigners who openly live with children and click pornographic pictures. Though Carlos is the most wanted criminal in Goa, he moves around freely on a Yamaha bikes, without any fear of the police or child activists.

  • Raju's operations are almost similar to Carlos. But his earning per child is almost double than that of Carlos. Just like Carlos, Raju also purchases children between the age of eight and eleven from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh for Rs 30,000 or less and trafficks them to Goa through a fictitious mother. His main accomplice is not a woman; but a man, a shack owner in Colva nicknamed Sex. Sex's job is to provide bikes and young children to foreigners and he carries on with his trade without any hindrance, as his godfather is a top and controversial politician from South Goa.

While Raju hails from Tamil Nadu and stays in Colva- Betalbatim and looks after a foreigner's bungalow, Sex hails from Potwado, Colva. They also have an Italian partner, who runs a prominent Italian restaurant near the fish market in South, and has connection with rich foreign tourists along the entire beach belt in the South. Sex takes children in a large vehicle with tinted glasses to the Italian, who in turn supplies them to rich foreigners, including Europeans and Arabs.

When contacted Santosh Vaidya, Secretary, Women and Child said that he was not aware of these illegal operators. But he admitted that trafficking is a really a matter of concern. "That's why we had brought the Goa Children's Act which clearly defines trafficking. After the Act was introduced, there has been a check on trafficking. But also a co-ordinated action is required from everyone," admitted Vaidya.

"We have not heard of them, not at least by these names. Illegal trafficking of girls and children for the flesh trade is not high in Goa. Delhi is way ahead of Goa. I talk about this from experience," added DIG Ujjwal Mishra.

Goa serves as a source, transit and destination where thousands of young girls and children are exploited day in and day out. Often, the actors in the trafficking network collaborate and protect each other. Just check out the types of prostitution phenomenon in Goa and the traffickers:

TYPES OF PROSTITUTION PHENOMENON IN GOA

  • Brothel based prostitution: Baina & Margao
  • Street based prostitution: Vasco, Margao, Colva, Panjim, Calangute, Anjuna
  • Hotel based prostitution: All over Goa
  • Vehicle based prostitution: North & South Goa tourist belt

    Traffickers
  • Brothel keepers previously operating in Baina
  • Few pilots ( Two wheeler taxi) and taxi owners
  • Few hotels and lodges in the tourist areas and on the highways - Karwar, Molem & Sawantwadi

It is generally believed that trafficking is driven by a demand for women's and children's bodies in the sex industry, fuelled by a supply of women and children denied equal rights and opportunities. But trafficking is not just limited to flesh trade. Check out the trafficking in its manifestations:

1. Trafficking for sex-based exploitation, i.e. for brothel based and non-brothel based commercial sexual exploitation, pornography, paedophilia, sex tourism, mail-order bride system, disguised sexual abuse in the garb of massage parlours, beauty parlours, bartending, friendship clubs.

2. Trafficking for non-sex-based exploitation, including a vast area of servitude, slavery and exploitation, either as bonded or forced labour or using them as drug peddlers, for begging, giving in adoption, trading in human organs, trafficking for false marriages and other similar exploitative practices.

The study, "A report on trafficking of women and children in India 2002-2003", reveals that Goa has the highest levels of trafficking of women and children compared to other states. However, though inter-state trafficking is high, the intra-state trafficking is a minimal with only 0.6 percentage, just as in the case of Delhi.

The study commissioned by National Human Rights Commission was carried out with the support of UNIFEM and conducted by the Institute of Social Sciences (ISS) also confirms that trafficking, though not reported from many places, is happening almost everywhere.

Based on primary data collected through interviews of 4006 persons in 13 states and Union Territories, including victims, exploiters and perpetrators, the study encompasses major areas of trafficking. On one hand, the study confirmed that majority of trafficked persons are girl children and on the other hand it negated certain popular myths that the clientele who visit the brothels or abuse trafficked girls are men who live away from their families and, therefore, look for options to satisfy their sexual urges.

"The exploitation of women and children takes place not only before trafficking, but also during trafficking and after trafficking. The rights of the trafficked persons are violated with impunity. They are subjected to physical and emotional harm from sexual assault to economic deprivation, and violation of human dignity," the study reveals.

What is shocking is that even the post-trafficking scenario finds the victim at the end of the tunnel, with almost no hope of survival. The victim is subjected to different types of conceivable and inconceivable acts of perversion and exploitation. Further, the law enforcement, in most places, violates the rights of victims as the common practice is to arrest, chargesheet, prosecute and convict the trafficked victims, the study confirmed.

"Even in Goa the target of action is not the traffickers but the trafficked victims. Statistics reveal that most of the offences booked under ITPA relates to sec 7 and 8 are against trafficked victims and not against the traffickers. Trafficked victims are arrested but no customer, pimp, transport agent, lodge owner, hotel owner, taxi owner, etc are arrested, though the law is very clear that those who commercialize prostitution and those who benefit from the earning from prostitution are committing an offence", said Arun Pandey, ARZ, who conducted the study for ISS in Goa.

NAME: CARLOS, THE 'JACKAL'
Hails from : Pomburpa
Now lives in : Huge Rented House in Ucassaim,
Violation: 15O Cases of Extortion and Robbery
Traffic Operation: buys children from Rajasthan, Orissa and Bihar for Rs 30,000 each who are trafficked to Goa by a woman posing as their mother
Preferred vehicle: Yamaha bike
Traffic partner: Hoyo, a woman

Name : HOYO
Lives in: Anjuna
Occupation: Sex worker cum Trafficker
Traffic operation: Supplies Children to foreigners from Anjuna, Calangute and Sinquerim. Children are sent with a woman (who claims to be their mother).
Traffic 'toll tax' to be paid by customers: $ 1000 to 2000 a month. Child gets a mere Rs 2000 and the "mother", Rs 5000


NAME: RAJU
Hails from: Tamil Nadu
Now lives in: Colva-Betalbatim
Traffic operation: Buys children between the age of eight and eleven from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh for Rs 30,000 or less and traffick's them to Goa through a fictitious mother
Traffic partner: A Shack owner called 'sex'. (Yes you read it right)

NAME: SEX
Hails from: Potwado, Colva
Traffic operation: Takes children in a large vehicle with tinted glasses to an Italian, who in turn supplies them to rich foreigners, including Europeans and Arabs.
Traffic partner: THE ITALIAN who runs a prominent Italian restaurant near a fish market in South Goa

No aid for HIV positive ‘outsiders’

No aid for HIV positive ‘outsiders’

Preetu Nair
preetu_nair@gomantaktimes.com

(This article appeared in GT Weekender, Panjim edition dated February 12,2006)

If you are a poor HIV/AIDS patient in Goa and do not have a ration card, it will be a matter of time before your family gets your death certificate. Harsh! but shockingly true. The Goa Medical College has been refusing to supply antiretroviral therapy (ART) drugs to non residents or those who have no proof of residence in Goa, in gross violation of NACO guidelines and the fundamental right to life, Preetu Nair finds out how your ration card becomes your life saving drug.

PANJIM: The outsider versus insider battle has been dragged even in to the Goa Medical College, where HIV patients without rations cards or proof of residence are refused ART life sustaining tablets. Those who can afford to it can buy it privately, but what about the hundreds of poor HIV patients who have a right to life, but are expected to show proof of living in Goa, to get that right. Check out these cases:

Positively speaking, we don’t treat ‘outsider’ HIV patients

Lata, an HIV positive is staying in Goa since last 30 years and had a ration card. But as bulldozers razed her house in Baina on June 14, 2004, she lost her ration card. As a result she has become an outsider in Goa where she was born and brought up. Recently, doctors at Goa Medical College (GMC) put her on Antiretroviral therapy (ART) but refused to give her the free medicine because she didn't have a ration card. She explained her problem but to no avail. Her problem is dual: on one side she is denied medicines because she doesn't have a ration card, while on the other hand government authorities refuse to give her a new ration card, despite several applications for the same.

The ART of refusing aid

As the CD4 count machine (a blood check-up for HIV/AIDS patient which has to be done every six months) was dysfunctional in GMC in October and November 2005, Shanti was advised to take her critically ill husband to a private hospital for CD4 count. The test revealed that his CD4 count was very low at 111 (normal is 200). The couple immediately rushed to GMC to start ART but was denied the tablet because they are from Karnataka and not from Goa. When they argued that ART has to be given for free to anyone who has HIV/AIDS irrespective of the state to which they belong, they were told by doctors at GMC that they have orders to give free ART tablets only to Goans. Another doctor added that as the CD4 count was done at private hospital, they would not receive any medicine from GMC for free.

Want a tablet, go back to your village

A 32-year-old man from Nepal, who came to Goa three years back to work as a labourer at the construction site, was detected to be HIV positive in 2005. He used to have high fever and felt weak. He went to GMC where he was tested and found to be HIV positive. He was regularly denied basic drugs. In January 2005 a CD4 count was done at GMC and he was counseled to start. But when he went to take his free ART tablets, he was asked to go back and take the medicine free from his village. Reason? He is not a resident of Goa. He cried and begged but in vain.

Some free lunches, but no free tablets

Reshma, 25, purchased ART tablets for one and half year when she was pregnant to avoid HIV/AIDS transmission from mother to child. This was two and half years back, when ART tablet was not given free of cost at GMC. However, she was forced to stop the medicine later as she couldn't afford it. However, when she got a CD4 count done recently it was found that her CD4 count had gone down and she was put on ART. But when she went to GMC for the medicine, she was denied tablets, as she couldn't produce proof of residence.

Believe it or not! From January 2006, if you don't have a ration card in Goa , you will be denied ART, which is considered to be an elixir of hope for HIV/AIDS patients; especially symptomatic patients with CD4 count less than 200 by GMC. ART drugs, while they do not cure HIV, can, if successfully administered, slow and even virtually stop the proliferation of HIV in the body. This reduces susceptibility to other diseases and allows for longer and better quality of life. Though available in the market, the drugs cost anywhere between Rs 2500 to 5000, thus making it unaffordable for the poor.

This is happening even as Chief Minister of Goa, Pratapsing Rane in his message in Goa State AIDS Control Society's book HIV/AIDS in Goa, Situation and Response 2005-06 has said, "My government is fully committed to prevent the spread of HIV and to provide care, support and treatment to people living with AIDS who access our health services and to mitigate the impact of theepidemic on communities".

It just doesn't matter that they live, work and love Goa. What matters is that they don't have a ration card or an electoral card! All this in complete violation of Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which recognizes the right to life as a fundamental right and also imposes an obligation on the State to safeguard the right to life of every person: "The
Government hospitals run by the State and the medical officers employed therein are duty bound to extend medical assistance for preserving human life". Failure on the part of a Government hospital to provide timely medical treatment to a person in need of such treatment results in a violation of his right to life guaranteed under Article 21.

Dr JJ Dias, Project Director, Goa State AIDS Control Society (GSACS) admitted that many NGO's working with HIV/AIDS patients have complained that the patients are asked to show proof of residence in order to get free ART drugs. "But this is done to ensure adherence from the patient, so that they don't leave the treatment mid-way. Otherwise, I don't think there is any reason to refuse free ART drugs as we want more and more HIV/AIDS patients to take the medicine," he said.

But isn't the right to life and health a fundamental right guaranteed to every person living in India and is non-negotiable? "That is true. We can't deny the drug to anyone. But our focus is on adherence," added Dr Dias. Asha Vernekar, NGO Advisor, GSACS also admitted that she had received complaints about patients being denied ART drugs because they don't have a ration card. "We have also followed up with GMC," she added.

This is happening even as National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) envisions an
India in which every person living with HIV is treated with dignity and has access to quality care. However, many like Reshma and Lata are denied free ART drugs because they are "outsiders". This despite the fact that NACO made the promise: "one nation one resolve: we shall defeat AIDS together" and for the same launched free ART drugs to all HIV/AIDS patients in state at GMC in March 2005, to provide universal access to HIV care.

"It is done to ensure that there is continuity of the medicine. What if they stay in
Goa for few months and go to their native place and discontinue the medicine? By and large medicines are not denied to patients," added Dr Rajan Kunkolienkar, Medical Superintendent, Goa Medical College.

But can a patient be denied medicine on the presumption that he may stop taking the medicine in the near future? Well, no one seems to have the answer!

(Some names have been changed)

*****************************************************************

Words hurt more that the disease. Here is a sample of how insensitive medical professionals in government hospitals are when they deal with HIV positive patients.

Leave your HIV positive husband”

  • A 25-year-old local boy was admitted in November in the General ward of GMC because his CD4 count was very low and he required immediate medical attention. In the presence of relatives he was given a bed, but in the night when the relatives left, he was vacated to a dark laboratory and made to sit there alone. Scared and worried, he called his relatives for help. They intervened and he was got medical attention but not before his wife was advised by the doctor to leave her HIV positive husband.

“You are HIV positive, we can’t give you a receipt for a CT scan”

  • When Shakeela took her 27-year-old husband, who is suffering from HIV/AIDS to GMC in December, they were asked to go to Hospicio Hospital, Margao. At Hospicio, she was charged Rs 200 for CT scan. She paid the money but didn't get a receipt. When the couple insisted, the staff insulted them saying they are HIV positive.

“Hey get out of the line, someone may get the disease

  • Leena and Manoj had left home in Maharashtra and settled in Goa, far away from friends and relative, because they were regularly ridiculed by everyone for
    being HIV positive. But Leena got a greater shock when she went to GMC and was ridiculed by a nurse, who said, "Hey, you are HIV positive, just get out of the
    line or someone may just get the disease." She is yet to overcome the embarrassment and agony she experienced then.

This is happening even when it is openly agreed that maintenance of confidentiality of an individual's health status is one of the cornerstones of public health. Not only does the principle rest on human rights norms of autonomy and respect for privacy, but it has also been viewed as crucial to encouraging those most at risk to come forward for HIV testing, counseling and clinical attention.

Even NACO states, "All Government hospitals have been instructed to admit HIV/AIDS cases without any discrimination. They have to be managed in the general wards of the hospitals along with other patients except cases having sputum positive (open pulmonary tuberculosis) and when the patient's immunity is completely diminished. This is required to protect him from other infections and thus he needs to be managed in a separate room. Any special marking or board near the beds for HIV positive patients is discouraged".

Only noise, but no CD machines

CD4/CD8 count facility was established at GMC in July 2001. On an average 6 to 8 patients are screened everyday for CD4/CD8 blood count facility to verify and assess the immune status of a HIV patient. In 2005 upto September at least 449 people went for CD4/CD8 count. However, in October and November, the CD4 machine was not working and due to this few patients who could shell out Rs 1000 plus went to private hospital, while many couldn't do the test.

Dr Dias admitted that there was a problem sometime back. "The problem is that at the moment we have just one CD4 machine and it does give trouble. At the moment we have three option: have another CD4 machine, outsource the tests or purchase CD4/CD8 kits so that it can be used as substitute," added Dr Dias.