Better care for HIV/AIDS sufferers
A three-day training workshop on the clinical management of HIV/AIDS opened today in Belize City. Doctors and nurses from throughout the country are participating in the sessions, which included remarks from the Minister of Health Vildo Marin and Errol Fairweather, who has been benefiting from anti-retroviral therapy.
Vildo Marin, Minister of Health
“This programme includes the comprehensive management of persons living with HIV/AIDS with the financial support and sustainability from the government. The first V.C.T. centre was officially established at the Cleopatra White Health Centre in September 2003. An integral component of this service is the availability of the anti-retrovirals for those that satisfy the criteria. We are presently at the stage of extending these services to the other three regions of Belize, mainly the southern, western, and northern districts, and therefore have recognised the need for more physicians with training in the clinical management of HIV/AIDS, including the collaboration of the private sector to increase accessibility, equity, and quality of service. These are the goals of the health sector reform.”
Errol Fairweather, Undergoing Anti-retroviral Treatment
“When I found out I was HIV, a lot of things happened, my world stopped and I went into denial, which made it worse. I started doing a lot of things that I had gave up already–I had stopped doing. I had settled down, I planned on getting married and having a family finally in my life at the age I’m at. My world stopped and things started getting worse. Then I developed full-blown AIDS. I landed at the Southern Regional Hospital under the care of Dr. Kim and after a while she put me on medication and it wasn’t working at first. It didn’t work for a long time, and the reason it didn’t work was not because it wasn’t the right medication, it wasn’t the doctor’s fault. I didn’t have the proper diet, I was taking vacations, partying, still drinking, doing things that was not right. And I just want to encourage each and every one of you here today and each and every one of the doctors here to get involved in this fight because there is hope, there is something that can be done. I can remember when the change came about in my life, when I decided I wanted to live and I didn’t want to die no more and that I could live with this thing. And that’s when I met Dr. Arriaga, in February of last year. And he gave me hope, the hope that I needed to make that change in my life.”
Topics being covered by the training sessions include identifying the early and advanced manifestations of HIV, evaluation and management of a client with HIV, factors involved when introducing anti-retroviral therapy, and management of HIV in pregnancy.
