Manish Kumar
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar: The National AIDS Control Programme launched after the first Human Immuno Deficiency Virus (HIV) case was detected 29 years ago to ameliorate the condition of the victims, but the social stigma continues to humiliate the group till now.
Investigations by this newspaper have brought to focus several dark sides of the healthcare institutions which instead of helping people living with HIV are actually turning their lives miserable. Many discriminatory incidences in renowned government hospitals, which are often the hope for many HIV people for their treatment, have surfaced.
Although clear norms are set by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) to ensure extreme confidentiality of people living with HIV, government hospitals like SCB Medical College and Hospital seem to be blatantly flouting guidelines.
According to NACO, doctors are advised to write ‘immuno compromised’ on prescriptions instead of HIV positive to shield the patient’s HIV status but such norms are ignored.
Orissa POST is in possession of a prescription issued by SCB Medical College, Cuttack, to an HIV positive patient, which discloses his HIV status. The prescription states ‘HIV positive diagnosed since 2008’. Ironically, the doctor prescribes medicines for purchase from medicine stores without consideration for consequences such as embarrassment the patient may undergo.
Sheetal Mohanty (name changed), an HIV positive person, said, “Many doctors and hospitals write clearly on prescriptions as ‘‘HIV positive patient’’. We show this to medicine shops where we have to face strange gestures. Our relatives unaware of our medical condition may find the prescription and consequently, we stand a threat of social stigma.”
Like Sheetal there are others who have faced such situations. However, people working in the field say there are problems galore for people living with HIV when they confront strange attitude from even healthcare professionals.
Activists working in this sector say despite projects to eradicate discrimination at hospitals such issues continue to persist.
Sushmita Sahoo, project coordinator of Kalinga network for people living with HIV, told Orissa POST, “We take persons with HIV to Capital Hospital or SCB Medical College for treatment. The doctors do not deny that they would not operate such patients. They promise to try their best but pass the buck on to someone else. Often doctors at Capital Hospital refer patients to SCB and doctors at SCB also redirect such patients to Capital Hospital. In such cases HIV positive people are left to run from pillar to post for treatment.”
The problem arises when the doctors have to conduct surgical operations although general treatment at clinics is not an issue, said Sahoo, adding not all doctors are alike. Some operate on HIV positive persons but there are many who are reluctant to operate on them.
When contacted, SCB Medical College superintendent PK Rath said, “We will look into the matter. A minimum protocol must be followed. I will advise the errant doctors to ensure they don’t write such things on prescriptions in future.”
