Ruth’s story: “In 2020, my husband suddenly had a stroke and was rushed to the hospital. He was diagnosed with HIV and passed away just 13 days later. I was advised to get tested along with my two children, and I found out that my daughter and I also had HIV. Within a month, my husband’s parents said I had to leave my husband’s house.
During one of my visits to the government hospital to get my ARVs [antiretrovirals], a social worker told me about Nireekshana and the opportunity to learn sewing.
Since then, I have received treatment here when I am unwell and have learned sewing skills and can sew products to sell. Nireekshana is like a family. They care about every aspect of our lives.”
Nireekshana ACET’s community-based clinic has treated and cared for over 8,000 HIV patients since it began in Drs Sujai & Lavanya Suneetha’s home 21 years ago. The team also provide treatment for other diseases brought on by poverty, such as leprosy.
Nireekshana ACET focuses on holistic care including counselling, prevention and treatment of opportunistic infections, education of children, and support for widows. The established Hyderabad clinic includes a dentist and fully equipped service and research laboratory, where they do their own testing, biopsies and scans. Each day the clinic provides a meal for the patients to improve their nutrition.
Training is also a significant component of their work. Topics such as HIV prevention and counselling are taught to patients and communities through seminars and workshops. Educating young people about puberty, prevention of abuse, and child trafficking is also a part of their training programme.
For the past few years, a new clinic in the Shamshabad Mandal district in the south of Hyderabad has been built. At the new clinic, the team will offer the same holistic services which they provide in the centre of the city for people living with HIV and leprosy, but with deeper and more specialized research.