"Pangurangi" Center Provide ATENSI Support for PLHIV in Sinjai Regency

TAKALAR (April 15, 2021) - The Ministry of Social Affairs through the "Pangurangi" Center in Takalar provides Residential-based Social Rehabilitation Assistance (ATTENSI) suppory to People with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (ODHIV) Sinjai Regency, South Sulawesi Province. This ATENSI support is a follow-up to the socialization activities of the Pangurangi Center program which was carried out previously in Sinjai Regency.

The "Pangurangi" Center received referrals for PLHIV from the Sinjai Regency Peer Support Group Caring Foundation (YPKDS). The Head of Pangurangi Center Pengalamen Surbakti said that his party is ready to provide ATENSI services for PLHIV in family-based, community-based, and residential-based services. "The collaboration that has been established with the Pangurangi Center with PLHIV assistants in every district and city in South Sulawesi will facilitate the implementation of the ATENSI program for PLHIV and be more targeted. The ODHIV is not physically visible and hidden, so an ODHIV companion is needed to map its distribution in each district/city area," explained Pengalamen.

The Sinjai District ODHIV assistant Jamaluddin also accompanied the beneficiary (PM) to the "Pangurangi" Center. "This is a new thing for us, referring to the assistance of PLHIV to receive services at the Pangurangi Center. The existing facilities are fairly good," said Jamaluddin. He hopes that the dormitories for PLHIV can be partitioned to protect their privacy.

Meanwhile, the "Pangurangi" Center Social Worker Muhammad Akbar conveyed the process of accepting prospective Beneficiaries starting from the admission registration stage, medical examination, and initial assessment involving professional Social Workers, Nurses, and Doctors. Furthermore, according to Akbar, the results of the medical examination and assessment will be discussed further in the "Pangurangi" Center Case Conference meeting.

Before leaving the Center, the ODHIV Assistant for Sinjai Regency Jamaluddin hoped that the Center, especially the Social Workers, would provide mental strengthening and self-acceptance to the assistance he brought to the Center so that after returning to Sinjai Regency they could transmit positive things to other assistance in their area.