Discrimination in Dental Care settings in Guwahati Medical College Hospital

[Guest guest]

Dear members of AIDS INDIA Forum,

Greetings from Jahnabi in Assam.

This is to inform you that another case of discrimination has happen in Assam in

the last week by a respective Doctor of Guwahati Medical College Hospital

(Dental Department).

Myself Jahnabi Goswami (General Secretary, Assam Net work of Positive people) is

suffering from severe toothache for the last few days and consulted with Dr.

Ahyapak of GMC. He said that some of my teeth has to be removed.

But when he came to know that I am HIV +ve he continuously refused to remove my

teeth. Here I also would like to mention that I have followed the instruction to

do some tests before removing my teeth as advised by him. But he was talking

about some protocol to be followed by him and asking me to bring 'Universal

Precaution'.

According to his instruction I also brought 2 sets of Universal Precautions sets

from Assam State AIDS Control Society. But even all these instructions were

followed by me, he was still refusing to remove my teeth. Then I went to a

Private Doctor Dr. Ms. Begum and she asked me to come after 3 days again. When I

went to her after

three days she also refused to remove my teeth saying that she was told by Dr.

Adhyapak not to do the same because I am HIV +ve.

I am still suffering from toothache. I have already informed Project Director of

Assam State AIDS Control Society and he was very supportive to me in this

regard.

As a concerned and active worker in the field of HIV/AIDS I would like to raise

this issue as a serious one. Though a lot of NGOs, CBOs and Government have done

a series and series of Awareness Generation Programme and Training Programmes

for all section of people, but what are the outcomes of those programmes I don’t

know.

As a result another discrimination happen with HIV +ve people like me who is

well known to the entire state of Assam and who is so open about my status and

announced publicly about my status a few years back. This is a very tragic

story. If this is happening to me than how do we hope for the better treatment

and support for other PLWHAs who need care and support?

I would have not say that I am HIV +ve, but as a responsible person of the

society I have mentioned about my status when I visited the doctor because I

don’t want to see other person getting HIV from me by any means.

Here I also would like to inform you that I am General Secretary of Assam

Network of Positive People and we refer so many cases to Govt. Hospital. If

this is the behavour getting in Govt. Hospitals by the Govt. Doctors than how

we expect the better treatment and support to PLWHAs.

Therefore I would like to let you all aware about the discrimination and

irresponsible behavior of doctors towards PLWHAs in Assam.

A few months back another incidence of discrimination has happend in Dibrugarh

district. Which was also led by a respective Government doctor of Assam Medical

College, Dibrugarh. As a result a four years old boy was discriminated and was

thrown away from the school and the parent of the child were also suffered a

lot.

With Regards

Jahnabi Goswami

General Secretary, ANP+

E-mail: <jahnabig@...>