Wat Pra Bhat Nam Put Aids Hospice

Today we visited a center for patients with HIV or AIDS. The patients that live here are generally not accepted by their family due to their diagnosis and the stigma that comes with it. Patients who aren't

as sick and are strong enough to care for themselves are given a tiny home on the campus for free as well as food and all utilities free. Those that are too sick to care for themselves are cared for in the hospital on campus by workers and volunteers. Some of the patients that are strong enough will also volunteer to help care for those that need extra help. There are currently 170 patients admitted in the hospital.

We also visited a room where the patients who pass away are kept. Most families do not want their bodies after they pass away because they had HIV/AIDS and so the facility has to keep them. Some were created and put into bags and others were full skeletons in boxes used for scientific purposes or cultural processes.

The number of patients at the facility is decreasing due to transmission rates of HIV/AIDS decreasing as people become more educated. The decreasing rate may also be due to the fact that more families are accepting of relatives with HIV/AIDS and allow them to stay home.

Lastly, we walked up a hill to a temple where some patients pray. There were tons of monkeys.