Sibusiso is a HIV/AIDS, TB and STI (HAST) Counsellor at Green Point Clinic in Cape Town. Recently her commitment to providing a service instead of judging her clients meant she was able to assist someone and prevent him from defaulting on his ARV treatment.
Her HAST Area Co-ordinator, Jessica Mvelase, relates the story:
“Sibusiso Masoko in Green Point CHC was able to assist a patient who was released from prison and had started ARV treatment there. When his ARVs were about to finish, the patient went from clinic to clinic begging to be accepted to continue his lifelong treatment. He was scared to attend a clinic in his own community as he had committed a crime there that landed him in prison and now was not accepted by community members and facilities where he went looking for help. He was refused when he told them that he had started his treatment in prison.
Sibusiso said that she left the patient’s criminal record for the law to deal with, and that she was there to provide a health service and not to judge.”
As the nurses could not provide the patient with his ARV medication that day, Sibusiso ensured that the nurses provided him with enough ARV pills to cover his requirements until he could come back to the facility to collect the rest of his medication.
Well done to Sibusiso for recognising that as health care workers our role is to provide health services in a nonjudgemental, friendly manner.