Compassionate care: A socially inclusive model for the routine medical care of people living with HIV/AIDs in India

Abstract

Routine medical care for people living with HIV/AIDs (PLHA) in India can present a challenge for service users given the significant stigma associated with living with these conditions. This paper reports on a small qualitative research project exploring an alternative approach to routine medical care that emphasises a socially inclusive model that serves to reduce the marginalisation experienced for PLHA accessing medical treatment. Six medical practitioners working in an outpatient clinic in a central city in India were recruited for the study and were engaged in in-depth interviews to investigate alternative approaches to medical treatment that emphasise compassionate, patientcentred care. The findings of the research indicate that compassionate care for PLHA in India promotes a socially inclusive model of support to increase beneficiary hope and reduce the stigma associated with this population. Such findings emphasise the need for major reform in service delivery in India for this population to ensure that they are treated with dignity and respect.