MDACS takes over city HIV helpline Saadhan
After nine years of being under the banner of Population Services International,the Mumbai HIV helpline Saadhan has been officially transferred to the Maharashtra District AIDS Control Society for further operation.
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After nine years of being under the banner of Population Services International (PSI),the Mumbai HIV helpline Saadhan (022 24114000) has been officially transferred to the Maharashtra District AIDS Control Society (MDACS) for further operation.
Before the transfer,funds for the helpline were coming from USAID through the Avert Society. After the funding period expired,PSI approached MDACS to take over. When PSI requested us to handle the operations of the helpline,we put forth a proposal to National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) to integrate the helpline into MDACS, said Dr S Kudalkar,project director of MDACS. Funds to maintain the helpline will now be received from NACO.
The PSI helpline counsellors have been absorbed into the MDACS helpline programme and the project has been relaunched as the MDACS Saadhan Helpline. Technical assistance has also been provided to MDACS. The software required for the helpline was transferred to us by PSI free of cost. This software would have otherwise cost us anywhere between Rs 20-25 lakh. Getting it free was a huge incentive for us to go ahead with the project, said Dr Kudalkar.
The software will help MDACS keep a record of patient details for reference and produce monthly reports of the number and nature of calls received.
Saadhan helpline was launched in 2002 as a communication tool for people to come out and talk about HIV and AIDS-related problems. Communication and access to information are major challenges in the prevention of HIV and Saadhan helpline enables people to do both. It is also helpful for those who are positive and want to talk to someone without disclosing their identity.
The MDACS Saadhan Helpline has received more than 250 calls within the first month of operations, said Vinitha Venkat,joint director communications of MDACS.
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