PEOPLE RESOURCE is the most important thing while setting up of the Redressal Cell. And for this, we needed support from the ART centres. The staff-members of the ART centres were to form The Committee. Then, we required the support of the PLHIV Community Representatives who would become Volunteers at the Redressal Cell.
Thus, for the formation of the Cell, we needed to approach the stakeholders, namely, ART Staff and PLHIV Community.
And this is how we went about it:
1. Approach to the ART-In-Charge
We wrote to the ART-in-charge and invited them for a meeting at MDACS under the chairmanship of Hon. Project Director Dr. S.S. Kudalkar. The brief meeting lasted for 2 hours where the importance of setting up a Cell was explained clearly to the ART-in-charge. They contributed with their feedback and suggestions to enable a smooth functioning of the Redressal Cell. They also showed keen interest to support the Redressal Cell. The meeting was concluded with the decision that the ART-in-charge will send their representatives, i.e, the Medical Officer and Counsellor of the ART centre who will be representatives of the Redressal Cell Committee.
2. Sensitization Workshop for the Committee Members
A one-day workshop was conducted to explain the need for Redressal Cell to the ART Centres’ staff members.
Agenda for Committee training
Committee member details & ART Centres’ Weekly Committee Meeting Schedule
The Workshop was also represented by the PL-HIV community to initiate a healthy discussion so that the needs of the health centre and the community were addressed.
Conclusion: A Committee was formed to ensure the smooth functioning of the Redressal Cell. But the actual day-to-day affairs will be conducted by the volunteers. Hence, it became very important to train the volunteers who were from the PL-HIV Community.
3. 2-Day Volunteer Training
1st Day (September 5, 2011)
Inauguration: The 2-day training session was inaugurated by MDACS officials with a lamp lighting ceremony. In the opening speech it was mentioned how important the volunteers were in the functioning of the Redressal Cell.
Ice Breaker: It is very important that the participants take part in the workshop without any inhibition. That’s why some small games were conducted to break the ice. This made for a good start.
Objective of workshop: This was conducted by Ms. Vinitha Venkatraman, JD, IEC-MDACS, where the vision was explained clearly.
Introduction to Redressal Cell: Meena & Anthony are from the community and they play the role of Redressal Co-ordinators. It was their responsibility to co-ordinate with all the volunteers to set up the Redressal Cell at the ART Centres.
Medico legal Aspects: Advocate Nitu Sanadhya is from the Lawyers’ Collective. She ran everyone through their rights and how they can get access to Lawyers’ Collective in case of any discrimination in the family, workplace or society.
2nd Day (September 6, 2011)
BCC (Behavioral Change Communication): The volunteers have to do a very important thing. They have to bridge the gap between PL-HIV and Health set-up. They have to liaison with the various departments in the Health set-up and this requires communication skills. They were trained for the same. Ms. Genevi Fernandes was the lady who gave them the basic communication training during the workshop.
ART & Other allied services: If a PL-HIV needs treatment from other departments, there are chances of discrimination from the doctors there. That’s when the volunteers play a major role in liaison work and bring justice to the issue. Dr. Rankhambe is the consultant, ART, who co-ordinates with MDACS.
Report Writing & Documentation: The volunteers made accurate reports and documented everything that happened during these two days so as to ensure that everything will be carried according to the plans made during the workshop.
Vote of Thanks: There was a vote of thanks that was followed by the distribution of I-Cards to the volunteers.
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