Doctor battles AIDS stigma is Aheri village

BIJAPUR: Dr Sanjeev Gururaj Patil has a busy day ahead of him. He will first see his regular patients at his clinic in Nalaband Chowk here, and then counsel those who are still trying to come to terms with their medical condition. But that's not the clincher.The 57-year-old has been tirelessly treating the poor and the needy affected by HIV for free for over 10 years. His acts of kindness have reportedly touched 10,000 lives, especially children and women. He also keeps aside about 10% of his salary to treat people living with HIV. Dr Patil, who hails from Aheri village in Bijapur taluk, found that his true calling lay in the field of HIV/AIDS treatment soon after he finished his specialization in skin diseases at Mysore. His training at St Joseph's Medical College, Swamy Vivekananda Institute and an NGO working on preventing infections helped him take the road less travelled.As he treats his patients day in and day out, he has also been working on getting rid of the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS. "I always wanted to give back to society. My father, who was a teacher, has been my inspiration throughout. Our society should not stigmatize those affected by AIDS. It is just a type of disease; nothing else."Ravi Kittur, a counsellor at the district hospital, says the doctor also makes time out of his busy schedule to visit villages once a month to check up on his patients. "He also refers those who need further diagnosis or treatment and are hard put to other specialists who offer concessions. He takes extra care of patients from rural areas."To fulfil his aim, Dr Patil floated an NGO - Sri Gurukrupa Seva Samsthe - in the name of his late father, which creates awareness about HIV/AIDS in rural areas.Surekha (name changed), a former patient of Dr Patil, says she has been closely watching the doctor at work for about two years. "Patients in rural areas look forward to his visits. They feel free to discuss their problems and conditions with him and pay heed to his suggestions."Before his launched his clinic, Dr Patil worked as an honorary doctor with an NGO and served at the community care centre attached to the district hospital.Support for those affected by HIV, he says, goes a long way in ensuring their long lives.