VCMC promotes counseling for HIV-positive persons

Barangay health workers and members of the United Church of Christ of the Philippines will be trained to conduct the counseling in the community level

A PRIVATE hospital in Cebu City launched last Friday a program in response to the increasing number of persons who are HIV-AIDS (Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) positive in the city.

Visayas Community Medical Center (VCMC), through the Advocating for Gender-based Action for Caring Communities (AGACC) program, aims to educate not only those diagnosed with the disease, but everyone in the community.

“The project’s name literally means to help someone move. We decided on launching it because the increasing prevalence of HIV in the city is alarming. We need to act now so that we can stop it from spreading,” VCMC Administration chief executive officer Susan Claro told Sun.Star Cebu.

Last year, Cebu City was identified as one of the top five cities in the country with the most number of HIV positive.

Divided into two aspects, AGACC promotes voluntary confidential counseling and testing to prepare the person for the eventualities if the diagnosis render positive.

After which, a post testing counseling will be conducted to educate the patient on how to prevent the disease from spreading.

Training

Aside from the VCMC medical personnel, members of the United Church of Christ Philippines and some village heath workers will be trained to conduct the counseling in the barangay level.

VCMC is tapping Barangays Ermita, Pasil, Sambag Dos and Kamagayan, as they were identified with having the most number of persons who are HIV positive in the city.

“We’re still in the first part which is the counseling, but later on, we will evolve to services wherein we will be a medicine hub in partnership also with the Department of Health. Hopefully, we will soon be able to provide treatment for HIV positive,” Claro said.

Discrimination

She said the program is a milestone for VCMC because this is the hospital’s first time to hold counseling, as their focus in the previous years was only on the information drive.

The program, she said, will hopefully eliminate the stigma of HIV resulting in discrimination and open the minds of everyone to create a holistic campaign for prevention.

“Come out to the open and don’t be afraid. Although we may not totally eliminate it, but we can actually stop it with prevention. Let’s all work together in protecting each other,” Claro said. RTF