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Vijayalakshmi, a sex worker in Telangana, is accustomed to receiving customers round the clock. Now, though, few come over, thanks to the pandemic.
Little prepared for the lockdown, Vijaylakshmi is now left with half-baked promises by local leaders for reimbursement of losses, and hope that is exhausting faster than the essentials she has stocked up to survive the 21 days till April 14.
Vijaylakshmi heads a group of 1,500 sex workers, whose lives have now ground to a standstill. This includes 77 HIV positive persons, whose survival is an even bigger challenge.
“The patients have been advised to take medicines along with highly nutritious food that includes protein supplements. But due to the lockdown, it has become difficult for us to source medicines, let alone supplements,” said Vijayalakshmi.
Deteriorating health
She added that this has led a deterioration in the health of the HIV positive people. “They (government) have launched special schemes for farmers and others below the poverty line, but we are also facing unfathomable problems due to the lockdown. They should do something for us as well,” she said.
The community can hardly bank on neighbours for help — they have been hostile in the best of times. “Some of us have family members who support us during crises. Others, however, have been spurned by their families,” Vijayalakshmi told BusinessLine over phone.
The entire community of sex workers across India is staring at a similar crisis.
According to Shama Karkal, Chief Executive Officer, Swasti Health Catalyst, an NGO that works for vulnerable communities, the disruption for HIV positive people is greater because of the sudden announcement of the lockdown. This despite a guideline from the National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) directing States to facilitate a multi-month supply of medicines for HIV positive people who are stable (not high-risk).
“Those who have already picked up their medicines for a few months will not face a problem, but we have heard that given the movement restrictions, going to an antiretroviral therapy (ART) centre to pick up the medicines is an issue. Lack of transportation means beyond-normal expenses,” she said, adding that the panic, fear and anxiety are palpable among HIV positive people.
Taaras, a coalition of around 150 community organisations with a combined membership of around 1.5 lakh sex workers across the country, has been trying to address the issues.
Bleak future
According to Selvi, a Taaras leader and a sex worker in Tamil Nadu, who has 175 HIV positive cases in her group, life seems a big question mark going ahead, too. The community members fear that the “fear of contracting the coronavirus” will keep customers at bay for a long time, she said.
“The Taaras coalition helps. But even their efforts are getting impeded by the complete shutdown,” she said.
Taaras coalition leaders told the BusinessLine that they are going to great lengths to ensure smooth supplies of medicines, but even they feel helpless sometimes because of the grave crisis. “Workers call us for help when they venture out to get medicines and are stopped by the police. But even our leaders have been asked to stay home and avoid going out. There is a will to support, but no plausible way to do that,” said a Taaras manager.
Another issue raised by the community members is the prioritising of coronavirus infected patients in hospitals. Lalita Harijan, a sex worker in Karnataka, told BusinessLine : “Now, if we go to the hospitals for regular check-ups, which is essential for HIV positive people, doctors can be seen prioritising corona patients. We brave the police only to see doctors (exclusively) aiding coronavirus patients.”
According to Avert, an international HIV and AIDS charity based in Brighton, UK, India has the third-largest HIV positive population in the world, at 2.1 million people. Despite the free antiretroviral treatment being made available by the National AIDS Control Programme, uptake remains low as many people face difficulty in accessing clinics. This has only been aggravated by the lockdown.
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