HIV-AIDS, TB, drug addicts should not be neglected during COVID-19 crisis: Nagaland NGOs

Kohima, Jun 14 () As Nagaland continues to fight COVID-19 pandemic, a group of NGOs has urged the state government not to neglect those suffering from AIDS, tuberculosis and drug addiction.

While giving attention to COVID-19 patients and quarantine centres, programmes on HIV/AIDS, TB and drug users should not be totally neglected, the NGOs said while interacting with reporters on Sunday.

NGOs, including Network of Nagaland Drugs and AIDS Organisations (NNagaDAO), Access to Rights and Knowledge (ARK) Foundation, Kripa Foundation and Network of Naga People Living with HIV/AIDS (NNP+), requested the government to give equal care as being provided to COVID-19 patients to those afflicted with AIDS and tuberculosis, besides drug addicts.

NNagaDAO general secretary Ketho Angami said, "...We have observed that many of the welfare programmes that are ongoing and implemented by various agencies, particularly by Nagaland State AIDS Control Society in the state are being sidelined.

"The government agencies are facing lots of problem with the present pandemic but the direct end receivers or the persons infected from HIV/AIDS and TB are suffering because they are not having access to all the services due to the focus being shifted to COVID-19."

Since the first phase of lockdown on March 25, the state health department is focused on containing COVID-19, but new problems are emerging for patients of AIDS, tuberculossis, apart from drug users, he said.

Access to HIV/AIDS related services has become a big challenge for beneficiaries and also service providers, he said while elaborating that they are unable to avail the services of hospitals attached with Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) centres along with laboratory facilities for baseline clinical investigation.

"Even if AIDS patients go to such centres, no service is provided as the medical staff, who are supposed to attend to the needs of such persons, have been put on COVID-19 duty," he said.

NNP+ president Lanu Aier said, the Dimapur ART centre is most affected with no doctor or nurse available there as they have been deployed for COVID-19 duty.

HIV/AIDS patients are supposed to get free treatment at government designated hospitals but with the COVID-19 pandemic there are no doctors and nurses and patients are being directed to private hospitals, which are not encouraging HIV patients, he said.

"People should not be deprived of treatment as they too have their right to health, said NNagaDAO president Abu Mere while urging the state government "not to abandon the initiatives on HIV/AIDS, TB and drug users". NBS MM MM