The freshly-painted walls of Shalom Hospice brought smiles on the face of several Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) patients. The facility to treat HIV and Tuberculosis (TB) patients was inaugurated on the Russ Foundation’s Thondamanpatti campus near here on Tuesday.
Seiji Baba, Consul-General of Japan, declared the centre open and said that the building was constructed and funded as part of grassroot assistance by the Japanese government. “Since the possibilities for cure are few, we can only provide ‘care facilities’. By taking small steps, we have provided assistance to a large number of people,” he said.
The hospice will provide free accommodation, protein-rich food and a serene atmosphere for the patients. A clinic will also function. Berlin Jose, founder of Russ Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, said that his organisation would bear the operating cost.
ADVERTISEMENT
R. Ramani, a patient, said that it pained her to see friends die gruesomely due to the infection.
“Most people don’t even touch the bodies of those who die with HIV infection. With a palliative care centre, many will benefit,” she said.
Mr. Berlin Jose said that the closure of the Community Care Centre run by the Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society created a large vacuum in treatment.
ADVERTISEMENT
“With stigma surrounding HIV and TB, most patients are subjected to humiliation. With this centre, we hope to cater to 900 patients,” he said.
The organisation is looking for contributions for this project. Interested persons can contact Russ Foundation at 9344117375 or 0452- 2604380 for details.