24 days on, HIV testing centres’ staff still on strike

Every day, Kiran Shah leaves work praying she is not infected with the human immunodeficiency virus.

Every day, Kiran Shah (36) leaves work praying she is not infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

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A laboratory technician at a HIV testing centre in the suburbs, she spends eight hours a day collecting and testing blood samples of suspected patients for a monthly salary of Rs 7,500.

“Sometimes when the patient moves, the needle accidentally pricks us or blood splashes on us. I have taken precautionary doses of medicines after one such incident,” said Shah, who has a 14-year-old daughter.

She is one of the 3,500 technicians and counsellors across the state who have been on strike since December 1 to demand better salaries and permanent employment.

Though services at HIV testing/treatment centres have been affected, state authorities are unable to address the demands, as the technicians/counsellors are contractual employees under the Centre’s Aids control programme.

On Thursday, the Mumbai District Aids Control Society (MDACS) recruited 26 new technicians and counsellors. “We had to recruit new people in the interest of patients,” said MDACS head Dr S.S. Kudalkar.

The employees met Mayor Shraddha Jadhav. “She has called us again on January 1,” said Pallavi Rane from the Rashtriya AIDS Niyantran Karmchari Sanghthana.

“How can they recruit new people without telling us? Many of us have put in eight to 10 years caring for HIV patients,” said counsellor Ram Waidande.

The employees also want the government to give them health insurance considering the high-risk nature of their job.

“Many HIV patients have tuberculosis. Four of our colleagues succumbed to TB last year and two had abortions after contracting TB,” said Shah.