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Healthcare on wheels for sex
workers
Anuradha
Mascarenhas
Pune,
November 29: The
city has scores of sex workers working outside the red light
area who frequent places like Gultekdi Market Yard, Khadki and
Pimpri. Since they do not have access to any regular clinic,
they are in the high-risk category.
This World AIDS Day which falls on Friday, such sex workers
will get a gift — a mobile van that will roll all over Pune
and surrounding areas offering them medical care.
The van, provided by Pathfinder International, Vanchit Vikas
and John Paul Slum Development project, is in tandem with this
year’s theme of ‘Stop AIDS’ and Keep the Promise. The
facility is solely for the non-brothel based sex workers. The
mobile van, with medical equipment, has a doctor, counselor and
paramedic to treat the Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
among male and female sex workers who are a ‘floating
population’ and mostly found on streets.
‘‘It is a unique concept,’’ said project manager of
the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation funded Pathfinder
International project manager T K Jayarajan. ‘‘The idea is
to provide medical treatment and ask this high-risk group to use
condoms. We tied up with John Paul Slum Development Project
which is involved in outreach activity. They mapped the ‘sex
work’ activity and checked the ‘hot spots’ in the city and
around where the non-brothel-based sex workers solicited
clients,’’ said Vanchit Vikas mobile van project coordinator
Dr Lakshmi Mali.
‘‘For instance, truckers stop at Gultekdi market yard in
the early morning hours and look out for sex workers here. We
checked that spot and sent our medical team with the mobile van.
Initially, the sex workers were reluctant. We spoke to them
about STI being curable, while HIV is not and if STIs are not
treated, there is a definite risk for transmission of HIV,’’
said Mali, who with her team has examined some 350 sex workers.
‘‘It is a big challenge to provide medical interventions
for such a floating population,’’ added Jayarajan.
Original link: http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=211492
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