THE HEALTH care services in Trinidad and Tobago should be more compassionate and comfort the people who suffer with the HIV/AIDS virus, rather than stigmatise and judge them.

This was the appeal of the Director of the Rainbow Consulting Inc Limited Ann Marie Sealy.

Sealy is the sister of HIV activist and playwright Godfrey Sealy, who died three years ago.

Sealy said, ’The health system in this country is more about the clinical aspect of everything and a form of compassion is needed within the organisation.’

Sealy also said that people should be able to come out and be open about the disease, without being discriminated against by the system and the general public.

Sealy said her brother, who was HIV positive for more than 20 years, died in 2006 but worked tirelessly for the cause.

A workshop is being hosted this week in memory of Sealy, entitled ’HIV/AIDS The Human Touch’.

Sealy said the workshop is an educational based awareness initiative, which is free to the general public.

She said, ’I believe that there should be a forum where people should be able to come out and be open and feel comfortable about speaking about their experiences with the virus and the impact it has on their personal, family, business and social life.’

But the main objective, she said, is convince people not to discriminate, stigmatise or judge, but rather show their support by caring, respecting and loving each other.

Sealy said her brother wrote the first Caribbean play about AIDS, addressing HIV and its discrimination and he would always be remembered for his determination to raise public awareness of the disease.

The workshop will take place at the Creative Arts Centre, Circular Road, San Fernando on Wednesday.