MRI offers AIDS hotline

MARANYANE NGWANAAMOTHO
Staff Writer | Thursday May 20, 2010 00:00

Medical Rescue International (MRI) has a 24 hour toll free hotline, which one can call for immediate answers on HIV/AIDS, related illnesses or for counseling on any issue that matters to them.  Many people may not be aware of it, but this hotline has been in existence for more than five years now. Irene Mucheka, a Counsellor at MRI told Mmegi yesterday that the line has been in existence for more than five years.  She says the hotline is available only to Mascom subscribers and landline telephone owners.

'We have a 71 600 toll free line for Mascom subscribers and a 0800 600 700 for landline telephone users,' she said.  While MRI runs the line, Mucheka says the Ministry of Health owns it.

'This hotline was initiated by the Ministry of Health and it was handed to us to run on a day to day basis,' she revealed.   Mucheka advises the public to make use of this line whenever they want to know more about HIV/AIDS and related illnesses or just for counseling on any other matter. This line is open 24-hours and we welcome everyone, we will refer you to either a counselor or a qualified nurse depending on the sort of the problem you have,' she advised. 

She says callers do not have to give their names if they do not want to reveal their identity, but certain information will still be needed for record purposes.   'We need to know the gender, age, marital status, occupation, whether the caller tested before or not, how many times, whether they are on ARV treatment or not and many others about the caller so that we are well positioned to refer him or her to the right persons,' she said.   Mucheka says that another reason for asking for certain information is for study purposes.

'We want to be able to tell which group of people is mostly affected by a certain issue or needs counseling on a specific matter,' she said.