It's a doc from Mysore who treats Chennai's HIV kids

The not-for-profit, YRG CARE is managed by wellknown HIV-AIDS expert, Dr Suniti Solomon, who detected the first case of HIV-AIDS in the country 25 years ago, when the world still knew the virus as HTLV Infection.

Notwithstanding the huge number of pediatricians available in Chennai, which according to Dr Suniti could touch 3,000, it is Dr S N Mothi’s visits that YRG CARE awaits. Dr Mothi who visits them once a month or two, spends a day treating children with HIV/AIDS. “Forget the stigma in society, we are unable to find even one paediatrician to treat  our children who are the future of our country,” Dr Suniti says. Nearly 10,000 persons affected by HIV-AIDS are registered with YRG CARE for treatment.

Dr Mothi, a renowned paediatrician, is also the Chairman of Ashakirana -- a not-for-profit NGO which works to provide counselling and treatment for children with HIV/AIDS in and around the district. Ashakirana is the only hospital in the State which serves children with the immunity disorder, with anti-retro viral medicine and hospital facilities, free of cost.

Delivering a talk at Rajendra Bhavana in Mysore, Dr Suniti said at a time when AIDS care is in transition, it is important that children affected by the disease are given the best care and proper interventional methods are followed to bring down the rate of infection among them.

“There was a time when truck drivers and sex workers were considered the biggest risk factors. But today, with a targeted approach of intervention through counselling and awareness, India has been able to breathe easy on these groups. It is the same approach that is needed for children too,” she said.