Ref: 'Calcutta Resque' Dr assaults +ve person.

[Guest guest]

[Moderators note: This is not a FORUM for extended personal attacks

and counter attacks. This message is approved in respect to

the `right to reply'.

However, this issue also raises certain critical policy aspect of

the exclusion criteria for ARV treatment. After a person is

included in an ARV treatment program- can this person be dropped

from the program because the patient's economic situation changes?

Or the patient develops disagreements with the doctor-?

Several such incidents are likely to happen in future. Hope this

posting would stimulate discussion on how are we going to deal with

such situations?]

________________________

Ref: 'Calcutta Resque' Dr assaults +ve person.

Without Prejudice

This heading was posted on 6th September 2005 as the subject of an e-

mail from Tarit Chakraborty (President BNP+).

Chakraborty forwarded a letter he had received from Nisha Roy

(Secretary of BNP+), which she had also sent to WBSACS P.D.

Chakraborty stated: ' A very sad case of Nisha Roy (Secratry of

BNP+). She was discriminated by a well-known Doctore (sic).' He

concluded : ' We would like to see proper action is taken against

this Dr.' Roy stated she went to my residence on 13th August 2005:

she did not. She went to a Nursing Home, where I do not live.

I had informed BNP+ that she & another salaried Office holder of

BNP+ would no longer get free ART from me, because the salary

figures given to me by BNP+ were incorrect.

In June 2005 I was informed by Dr. Sudeshna Banerjee of BNP+ that

these two officials were paid Rupees 2000 per month. I was told by

another source that they were paid Rupees 5,000 per month. All funds

donated to me for free ART are for those who cannot afford to buy it.

I asked Banerjee & Chakraborty from which date these two had

received Rupees 5000 per month. I got no reply. I asked Banerjee &

Chakraborty to give me photo-copies (xeroxes) of salary payments

made by them. They refused. I asked them to submit to an audit of

their accounts by WBSACS.

In addition to giving me salary figures in June 2005 which were

incorrect in August (if not before); BNP+ left two names off the

list of salaried staff who were receiving free ART from me. So I

continued to be unaware that these other two staff members had an

income from BNP+. When Roy & the other BNP+ staff member asked for

free ART on 13 th August, BNP+ knew perfectly well they were

ineligible.

When Roy asked for a letter from me to get free ART from Calcutta

School of Tropical Medicine (STM) I refused: this free ART is for

those below the poverty line. Will Chakraborty state whether Roy now

gets free ART from STM?

I am currently fund raising abroad for HIV+ and other patients and

don't have my files with me. The other BNP+ Office holder on Rupees

5,000 per month is called Jibon Brahmo, from memory. Does he get

free ART from STM? How many other salaried BNP+ members get free ART

from STM?

I can supply one more such name when I return to Calcutta & can

consult my records.

For every such salaried patients who gets free ART by false

pretences, a patient below the poverty line is deprived of ART.

Although the insult & assault were allegedly perpetrated on 13 th

August, when Banerjee phoned me later she only mentioned Roy had

complained of beinb insulted.

I asked for details of the insult, none were given. There was no

mention of assault. Did Banerjee forget to tell me? Did Roy forget

to tell Banerjee? Roy knows only limited English.

Whoever wrote the letter forwarded to you by Chakraborty - did they

explain to Roy the contents? And the legal consequences for her if

the allegations are false - which they emphatically are?

Chakraborty was not present when Roy was allegedly insulted &

assaulted. Did he make any investigations to ascertain the truth of

these allegations? Does he have statements from witnesses? Why

doesn't he take the action against me that he wants?

Why hasn't WBSACS instituted an enquiry? I was in Calcutta up to

30th September. I have supplied free ART to BNP+ members since

2002 & after a previous incident with Roy when I was tricked into

purchasing a double supply of ART I informed her I would no longer

supply her with free ART.

Banerjee managed to persuade me to relent, but I told Roy & Banerjee

the next trick would be the last. The next trick was duly played out

in August 2005, though it took Chakraborty until September to post

his complaint.

With funds donated by friends & personal contacts I supply first-

line drugs to 30 HIV+ patients & second-line drugs to 3 patients.

Most of these patients are members of BNP+; some are salaried staff

members on modest salaries (if the figures given me b BNP+ are

correct).

Last year I spent time in UK getting support for a special treatment

for Roy, which she requested. I attended a London clinic to learn

how to apply this treatment. The manufacturers were approached for a

donation of this expensive treatment & at first the negotiations

were promising.

A writer offered me space in the weekly newspaper column he had, in

order to get support for Roy's treatment. The drug company finally

refused. I was told it was because they feared legal action if

anything went wrong, or was thought to have gone wrong.

How right they were to take this decision, in the light of

subsequent developments with Roy!

I am the founder & Honorary Chairperson of Calcutta Rescue & after

supplying Chakraborty's BNP+ members with free ART for 3 years I may

be forgiven for pointing out it is 'Rescue', not 'Resque'. Jack

Preger.

Those with access to the Journal published by Genx Pharma Ltd will

find a glowing tribute to me for my work with HIV+ patients, from

Chakraborty!

" Jack Preger "

E-mail: j_preger@...