Prevention is better than Cure

The health awareness programs conducted by WDC helps us to reach the community gaining their confidence to access our resources. On these occasions we meet various persons with diverse problems.

A woman (Janaki – pseudonym) was very attentive during the health awareness program and persistently asked questions related to STD. I realized that she had a problem, and my instincts were confirmed when she wanted to speak to me in private at the end of the lecture. 

“I am worried about my husband. He has been acting strange for the past few weeks. He works as an assistant in a witchcraft temple. Since of late, he as started sleeping in a separate room. He gets angry when I ask him why. Our children are big and they sleep in their own rooms. Their father’s behavior is a mystery to them too. But they never inquired anything from me” said Janaki.

“My husband has the light in his room in the night and my curiosity made me tiptoe to the room one night and what I saw through the slightly open door shocked me. A bottle of surgical spirits, cotton wool and a tube of medical cream was laid out on the table while he was dressing a wound in his genitals. He got angry when I burst into the room. He did not respond to my questions at first. I could not hold back my tears and begged him to tell me the problem. He then told me that he had sexual contact with a woman who visited the witchcraft temple and that he might have contracted the skin disease from her. I was very sad. He refused to seek treatment from hospital. What can I do to help him?” Janaki asked in a sad tone.

I advised Janaki to bring her husband to the STD clinic where we attend to such persons; she did not turn up on the given date. I sent her a P.C. with a reminder – not stating anything relevant to the matter. The next week she arrived with her husband but did not come to the clinic.

I discussed the issue with the STD specialist physician. We pretended that to be unaware of the case and called them in; he was examined and prescribed with appropriate treatment for gonorrhea and continued to attend the STD clinic daily. He still does not know me, but I gather information from the wife when she comes for treatment.

She said that they have regained their relationship and are happier now. A sense of fulfillment overwhelmed me adding strength to my future commitments.

By Daisy Ruwanpathirana

2009

WDC