T

he Bali administration and social organizations need to work together to set up a rehabilitation center for people living with HIV/AIDS, activists said Tuesday.

Ari Murti, who works for a number of social organizations, said that tackling HIV/AIDS problems would not be successful if it only focused on physically treating the patients and raising public awareness on the danger of the infection.

"It is good that the administration has provided medical treatment for the HIV/AIDS patients, as well as campaigning in schools and villages about the danger of HIV/AIDS."

"However, it's not enough and will not halt the spread of the infection.

"People living with HIV/AIDS need access to a shelter or rehabilitation center that provides technical assistance and psychological support to help them survive," said the author of Outcast, from Sex Trade to HIV/AIDS.

"This is because most face resistance from their surrounding community."

The rehabilitation center is necessary to help infected people to survive by providing them with medical treatment, training and counseling, she said, considering that efforts to treat the people have yet to be comprehensive.

Ari said there had been movements by social organizations to assist HIV/AIDS patients, but they were still sporadic.

"Treatment facilities for HIV/AIDS patients in Bali are still very limited and could not cope with the growing number of patients," Ari said.

Ari, who manages the Bali-based Women International United (WIN Foundation), is planning to establish a shelter she dubs "The House of Hope" as a place for the HIV/AIDS patients to share experiences and knowledge.

"Ever since I became involved with HIV/AIDS cases, I have dreamed of constructing a shelter as a safe haven for HIV/AIDS patients who are not able to look after themselves," Ari said in her recently published book.

"The people deserve a chance to spend the rest of their lives with dignity and joy."

Arimbi, an activist who regularly counsels commercial sex workers in Padang Galak, shared similar views.

She encouraged the administration and social organizations to join efforts to provide the patients with physical, psychological and spiritual treatment through a rehabilitation center.

"The rehabilitation center will allow them to have better lives, save them from rejection by their families and surrounding community," said Arimbi, who currently assists 20 out of 300 sex workers in Padang Galak.

Her counselling aims to help sex workers become more aware about the consequences of their job, especially the risks of being infected with HIV/AIDS.

Particularly for sex workers, she said, a rehabilitation center would prevent them from returning to their work, which would further spread the HIV/AIDS infection.

"They actually want to have better lives, but they are afraid to face the reality once they quit the work, because they don't know where to go.

"That's why we should provide them with a comprehensive rehabilitation center."