Re: AIDS Widow's Death: A field report

[Guest guest]

I had recently been at Kuppam to enquire into the allegation that an

HIV positive woman had been stoned to death. After my visit I was

discussing my findings with some HIV activists. After hearing my

findings they told me about the mis-information campaign that had been

going on in this forum and requested that I post description of what I

had seen there.

I was a member of a team of three deputed to investigate the incident

by NACO. We reached the time the chairperson of the National Women's

commission was in Kuppam. We conducted our enquiries and were also

witness to the efforts of the NWC.

Smt. Pavanamma had visited the dental clinic at the area hospital

Kuppam, in June 2002 with an oral thrush. She was referred to the VCTC

at the hospitals where she tested positive . Her second husband left

her soon after but continued to send her money. SHe moved in with her

mother. She had been under the care of a private medical practitioner.

A month back her condition deteriorated and she was taken to the area

hospital again. The doctor advised the family that no more medial help

was possible. She was brought back to the house and the family

continued to take care of her. Meanwhile she started to hemorrage and

had persitent diarrhea. The colony is a collecttion of closely built

tenement. Her mother's house too has just two rooms. When her

condition worsened, the family built a thatched attachment to their

house and shifted her there. She died three days later.

The established findings are:

The story of persons attacking her, she trying to flee, but being

hunted and hacked to death is a figment of someones imagination. IT

HAS NOT HAPPENED. Even the NGO representatives who has posted this

item do not maintain this has happened for the simple reason that she

was far too gone even to move. This has been confirmed by the National

Women's Commission also.

When she reached the terminal stage of her illness she was taken out

of the house and put in a neighbouring hut where she died.

What is not established is:

Was there an instance of neglect and was she " allowed to die " as a

family member told us?

What I saw at Kuppam which revolted me was the way the brother and

mother of the diseased was treated in the presence of some of the NGOs

who had already claimed that she was done to death and were desperate

to have their version upheld at any cost. The family reached the site

at 6.30 in the morning and were interrogated till late evening. The

poor members of the community tried to protest at the treatment meted

out to the family but was silenced by the officials keen to prove

their credentials. Press statement was given alleging that the family

had poisoned the lady. All this was done with impunity as they were

poor and the pepetrators knew that they could be bullied without any

reaction. The mother of the diseased was weeping and protesting that

" if I could take care of her for a year and more why should I kill her

when she was about to die " and " this harassment has gone on for too

long. When my daughter was suffering none of them turned up. Ever

since she died people have been barging into my house and accusing me

of murder. I cant do anything to them except kill myself. If this goes

on any further I will do it? "

To me the incident raises a few incomfortable questions.

How should a poor family barely at subsistence level manage to care

for their terminally ill?

The incidents of stigma will remain with us. Andhra has funded a few

NGOs to deal with issues of stigma and discrimination. (The NGO funded

for this location is the NGO who has posted this information). If

after being counselled the postive person does not contact the NGO,

what are the information systems the NGO has to learn about their

plight and respond to it. If the NGO had a local presence they would

have learned of it and transported the person to the nearest care and

support centre. Or at least assist the family in dealing with a

terminally ill pweson in their house.

If a family is accused of a crime that they did not commit what

remedies are open to them given the cost of litigation and the higher

social position of the persons who make the allegations without

bothering to verify the facts?

We will never know whether Pavanamma died due to deliberate neglect.

But on 12th of July I saw the rights of her mother and brother

trampled on with impunity with the assistance of some of the persons

who had been lamenting the denial of human rights to Pavanamma.

[i am a consultant to the National AIDS Control Organsiation. These

are my personal views and not that of NACO]

Rajeev_Sadanandan

E-mail: <rajeev_sadanandan@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear Rajeev Sadanandan: (Re: AIDS Widow's Death: A field report)

I think it is very important to get down to the thruth and let the wider

national and international commiittee know of it. It is a question of nation's

pride. The responsible NGO and others who reported it should learn lessons to

be very sure before passing these things on air.

However, I think, the positive side is, it might have acted as a trigger for

the larger Indian community to think on the issues of stigma.

Thanks

Dr Ashok Kumar Agarwal, MBBS,MD

108, Rastraguru Avenue,

Nager Bazar, Kolkata -700028, India

E-mail: <drashok_1963@...>