ADDING COLOURS TO LIFE:one more initiative from medical college Trichur ART center

[Ajithkumar.K]

ART adherence interventions in Children affected by HIV should be child-centered and appropriate. We at Thrissur Medical College initiated a new initiative aimed at making ART Centre visit a pleasure than a pressure for our children. We believe drawing and painting can lead to colourful thoughts and hopes and improve creativity in them. Finding one more reason other than routine clinic visit can motivate the caregivers and beneficiaries to make clinic more comfortable and this can improve the beneficiaries’ compliance and adherence in treatment.


The idea was conceived by Dr. Vineeth Kumar (Medical Officer) who is an artist on his own and Ms. Preethakumary (Counsellor) in the month of February 2010 and materialised on 12th March 2010. In this simple intervention, we distribute crayons and pictures for colouring to the children who attend ART centres. They are expected to bring back the pictures in the next visit when they come to collect ART. The painting brought by them will be displayed in the notice board on the same day when these kids are waiting in the waiting area. Some parents offered to buy cryons on their own as they can afford to buy it. We also encourage them to buy water or oil colour if they can afford it. In order to make sure maximum participation, each of the ART team members acted as a catalyst. Every child who bring back the painting will get a small prize like sweets or pen. The best 3 painting of every month will be given a prize in a small meeting conducted in the ART centre itself .We made sure that these prizes are selected in such a way that they are useful items like pen, books, Tiffin box etc and it will not look anything exotic to invite questions from peers or friends. In the month of March, 80 children participated, and in April, 59 children participated. In order to improve imagination and creativity, now we ask the kids to do their drawings and paintings based on a theme provided by us and the response is much beyond our expectations. Currently the whole project is sponsored by the ART staff and our Department of Paediatrics. We are looking forward to expand this small venture. We plan to conduct an exhibition of 6 months collection of paintings on next children’s day.


We hope this intervention will make ART visit more pleasurable to our children and their parents .


With regards,

Dr. Ajithkumar K.,
Government Medical College,
Thrissur.

[Bheri M R]

thank you Dr. Ajith kumar for the inspirational story, your initiation ART centre as art centre is adding colours to children life. and giving space for them to exibit and express their hopes and concerns is excelent.
service providers can also take hints from art by the children to improve thier serrvices. Thank you once again for the inspiration.

[Bazo]

Thank you for sharing this story. I am so proud of Dr Kumar for taking the initiative to bring about Live (colour, fun, creativity) into the ART centre!! please share us your pictures also.

[Gaston]

I like this fresh and creative look on ART provision. Thanks for sharing.

[Ajithkumar.K]

Thank you, we are over whelmed with your response . let us dream and fight together .

Ajithkumar

[NAMARA ARTHUR ARAALI]

Dear Dr. Ajithkumar K,
Thank you for that great initiative, as a Counselor myself, I feel inspired to start the same here in Uganda. It makes the Children participate. At TASO Entebbe where I work twice a week, there is a Children play centre where children who come with their guardians or parents are looked after. Your initiative can fit in very well.
Thank you for sharing
Arthur, Uganda

[Laurence Gilliot]

Wonderful initiative Ajith, congratulations. It is so simple yet I'm sure it has great impact on the children and families. I think that in general it is important to provide services build around the patient and not around the doctors, even in how you design the place.
I know that in the Netherlands there is a big shift in hospitals. When you visit the hospital, you are the one who has to go from one doctor to another. The doctors stay in one place. Now they are trying to shift so that the patient can stay in his/her room and the doctors come and go.

Thank you for sharing!

Laurence

[Ajithkumar.K]

Thank you Rituu.The encouragement we are getting for this is unbelievable. My colleagues are thrilled. It adds a great responsibility on us to continue and improve our selves.
hope we should be able to work together

Ajith

[Rituu B. Nanda]

Dear Dr Ajith,

Thanks for sharing this great initiative. We often think of innovative ideas but look outside for support. What I really liked that the medical officer and the counselor themselves took a lead to make the ART centre a welcoming place for children. Please convey my appreciation to Dr. Vineeth Kumar (Medical Officer) and Ms. Preethakumary (Counselor) and other team members.

I am uploading one of the drawings made by a child at the ART centre.

Warm regards,

Rituu