Inspirational Post shared by DAPCU, Vizianagaram, AP

A brief note on participation in 

Mainstreaming Workshop at Jaipur on 5th February 2014

Date: 05-02-2014

Venue: Lebue Resort, Jaipur

           As per the communication received from Mainstreaming division, Department of AIDS Control, Delhi, P. Balajee, DPM, Vizianagaram was invited for a consultation workshop towards finalizing the Social Protection Guidelines in NACP-IV on 5th February at Jaipur.  After appropriate approvals and as per the instructions, DPM Vizianagaram reached the venue on 4th February evening. I met Mrs. Elizabeth Michael, Team Leader, Mainstreaming, Dr. Govind Bansal, DAPCU coordinator and Mr. Srikar, Consultant, Mainstreaming, APSACS during the dinner there and we discussed the DAPCUs presentations on which will be presented during workshop on 5th. 

                 The consultation workshop started at 10 am on following day, after registration of all participants, self introduction and some ground rules.  10 DAPCUs as per the recommendation of DAPCU National Resource Team (DNRT) and NTSU and Mainstreaming consultants from all SACS participated in the workshop.

   

The presentations & discussed are as follows:

1. Ms. Elizabeth Michael, Team Leader, Mainstreaming, said about the importance of Social Protection for People Living with HIV/AIDS and their families and its role in NACP IV.  She informed to all about the NACP IV launch on 12th by Union Health Minister. 

2. Dr. Govind Bansal, National DAPCU Coordinator made a presentation on Social Protection Schemes & Social entitlements activities done by the DAPCUs in the country and he also explained the structures in DAPCU and NTSU for the benefit of mainstreaming consultants.    His presentation gave an idea to all participants that DAPCUs are doing and trying to provide benefits of social protection schemes and Social entitlements to PLHIVs in their respective district. 

3. Sri. Chandrashekar Gowda, Director, Swasti made a presentation on the study finding which was done in Madhya Pradesh with a sample size of 800 on social protection schemes & Social entitlements among PLHIVs & HRGs.  His presentations focused more on Help Desk at all level in our programme for counseling, collecting information/documents and approaching concern departments.    The participants also learnt that Help Desk model is more useful and economic for our programme and some of the DAPCU expressed that they are doing it now but not at all levels, but at DAPCU.

4. Experience sharing by DAPCUs:

a. I spoke about various social protection schemes available for PLHIV in Andhra Pradesh as mentioned below:

     i. Rs. 200/- pension for all on ART PLHIVs is being implemented in Andhra Pradesh and APSACS has taken into considerations- all concern of PLHIVs like stigma, transport, transparency and many more into consideration for providing benefit to PLHIVs in AP.  It is implemented by APSACS in collaboration with SERP, DRDA. 

    ii. Bus Passes for all on ART PLHIVs for getting 50% of discount in bus fare for one time in a month to getting ART medicine every month.  It is implemented by APSACS in collabaration with APSRTC. 

   iii. Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) card are being issued to PLHIVs in AP after issuing a GO by AP Government and DO letters by PD, APSACS to all DCs. But here we take consent of PLHIV for sharing his/her complete information with Civil Supply Department as the Ration Depot dealer will know the status of the beneficiaries.  For implementing this scheme,DAPCU sensitized all Ration Depot Dealers along with Heads of Civil Supply Dept to maintain confidentiality and given instructions through DC.

    iv. 13 GOs & DO letters have been issued in AP for providing Social Welfare Schemes to the PLHIVs for leading dignified life with HIV without any Stigma & Discrimination. 

   v. All District Collectors in Andhra Pradesh are giving priority for providing Welfare Schemes to the PLHIVs. 

   vi. Because of time constraint, I mentioned in brief about many other such initiatives like Foster Care Scheme for orphans through ICDS, Double Nutrition for CLHA/CAA, Double Ration for HIV positive ANCs and SC/ST/BC corporation loans and etc...

   vii. We also tried to show the DAPCUs responses in the country on Social Protection schemes in DAPCUBLOG as I am also one of the volunteers for moderation of the blog but due to technical reasons I couldn't show it online. However, I mentioned that 13 DAPCUs in the country have responded to the theme of Social Protection for PLHIV and the responses are available on web: www.dapcuspeak.blogspot.com for reference. 

b. Participants were impressed very well about the schemes in AP especially Rs. 200/- pension and precautionary measures taken by APSACS.  Participants also felt unhappy about bus pass as the pass is clearly written logo of AIDS and name of APSACS.  For this we mentioned that APSACS is planning to change bus pass design as it was also informed to all DAPCUs in AP. 

5. Later remaining DAPCUs from various states made presentation according to their state specific social protection scheme to the PLHIVs.  The presentations were made by Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Maharashtra. 

6. Later all participants were divided into 5 groups and given a topic that for brainstorming, discussing, proposal and presentation by the team.  The topics are mentioned below.

a. Planning Phase

b. Awareness Creation

c. Enabling Environment

d. Setting up Help Desk at Service Center

e. Monitoring Mechanism

f. Mr. P. Balajee, DPM, Vizianagaram participated in the group  of Awareness Creation, Mrs. Lalitha, DPM, CTTR  in Setting up Help Desk at Service Center and Mr. Srikar, Consultant, Mainstreaming, APSACS in Monitoring Mechanism.  We actively participated and gave inputs to the group activity. 

g. Teams were given formats by facilitators and facilitator sat with teams and teams discussed and wrote inputs in to the format for developing guidelines for Social Protection to PLHIVs in the country.  The inputs of all groups will help the DAC to design the process the how DAPCU implement the Social Protection activity in the district, how to document, how to approach, how to measure and how to monitor the activity.  

h. Later all groups made presentations from AP team Mr. Srikar got the opportunity to represent Monitoring Mechanism team for presentation and he did very well and all participants also recognized that he made presentation well and comprehensive  to all presentations done before.

      This workshop helped DAPCU, SACS and DAC lot to learn lessons from existing strategies and approaches and it will give fruitful results in developing guidelines on Social Protection to PLHIVs and their families.

   

       My heartfelt thanks to DNRT, NTSU, DAC, UNDP, APSACS and DACO, Vizianagaram for their help, support and encouragement for helping me in participating in a national level workshop for a Nobel cause.