Atul Loke

Kusum and her 11 year old daughter Sheetal walk the four kilometres to the bus stand to travel to the Sangli Civil Hospital. Many people like Kusum travel from adjoining villages to the Sangli Civil Hospital for free ARV drugs, but she must spend more than half of her family's monthly income simply on travelling to the hospital. The Sangli Civil Hospital is the only place that issues free ARV drugs, and they only cater to the first stage of HIV. For the later stages, patients must go to a private clinic and spend more than 5,000 rupees (124 USD) each month, which for most is simply impossible. Kusum is a widow living with HIV. One of her children is also HIV positive, one is not, and the status of the third is still unknown.