Story of HIV positive victim from Chapra, Bihar.

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Dear Members,

Please find the story of the family of HIV positive victim from Chapra, Bihar.

Late Mukhtar Yadav (40 Yrs old) of Village Charwa, Post: Chainwa,

Police Station: Rasoolpur, Dist: Chapra, State: Bihar, died of AIDS

on 15th of July 2005. He was migrant mason labourer from Chapra,

Bihar working at Bangalore, India since last 7 years.

He came to ENT Consultant Dr K K Sharan at Patna for his problem in

deglutition. After examination he was referred to Dr Diwakar

Tejaswi, Family Physician and Presently Medical Director, Regional

AIDS Training Center and Network in India, IHO. Dr Tejaswi after

through examination, suspected him to be a full blown AIDS case.

He got the initial treatment for an opportunistic oral candidiasis and was

referred to Nazareth Hospital, Mokama (about 60 Kms from Patna) where Bihar AIDS

Control Society is sponsoring 10 beds exclusively for AIDS patients for

opportunistic infection treatment.

At present there is no govt. hospital that is providing free or subsidized anti

retroviral therapy to the patients in Bihar.

Negative discrimination for his wife and her immediate family

members had started from the time he was getting treatment at

Nazareth Hospital. By that time her wife's (Mrs. Rampati Devi, 35

Yrs) and youngest daughter's (Baby Anshu Kumari (3 Yrs) +ve HIV

status was known to everyone in the village. Her Other daughters and

sons namely Ms. Babita Kumari (12 Years), Ms. Sunita Kumari (9 Yrs),

Mr. Pintu Kumar Yadav (7 Years), and Mr. Santu Kumar Yadav (6 Years)

didn't turn reactive to HIV testing. Her suffering started and no

one was coming to help her. They were discharged from Nazareth

Hospital after death of her husband.

After about a month of their discharge from Hospital, she and her

daughter started getting some infection as fungal infection on

scalp, fever, diarrhea and discharge from ear. They were treated

accordingly by me and they responded to the treatment well. As I got

involved with their social, mental, financial and medical

sufferings, which was making her life miserable, I couldn't stop

myself in helping her in all possible way. I gave her all the

consolation, courage, medical treatment free of cost. She was so

desperate that she wanted to die.

There were no earning members in the family, no one to feed them and no one

ready to play with their children. She had virtually a hopeless isolated life.

During conversation with them I found that still very low level of awareness is

prevailing in the society about the mode of transmission of AIDS.

Even her village co-fellows thought that they will get AIDS from the air which

is passing through her house.

These all episodes had a deep impact on me and prompted me with all

seriousness to go in front of the media and volunteer myself in

sharing the biscuit with the HIV +ve Victim, only to give the

message that AIDS is not transmitted by eating together or by close

interactions.

Secondly, I was moved to see 3 years old HIV +ve girl and we wished to give a

message on this very occasion that HIV transmission can be significantly

reduced in infants if HIV +ve pregnant women takes antiretroviral treatment and

abstain from breast feeding as per advice by the doctors.

All the leading newspapers of Bihar and India (local, regional and national)

covered the news and electronic media also gave due coverage. The action was

appreciated by people from different folds.

Dr Diwakar Tejaswi: I did not disclose the identity of AIDS patients in the

first place.

It was so that during her husband's treatment at Nazareth Hospital,

her relatives and people from their village came to know about their

status. After that negative discrimination started and she became

desperate and hopeless.

At last resort she herself volunteered and wished to come before media to

highlight her story. When I asked her it may disclose her identity, she told

that everyone in their family and village already knew her status and there is

nothing left to loose further. She has given a thumb impressed written consent

also.

In my own believe no further harm could have been added by sharing

the biscuit, on the other hand, some of the sensitive organization

and people may come forward for her help. And many NGO's, Pvt.

Companies, Drug companies and individuals have now extended their

support. Few are on way to occupationally rehabilitate her, to make

her life productive and fruitful, as far as possible.

They are now getting a new hope in their lives. Last week I had seen

all the courage and confidence in her. Co villagers and family

members have started interacting with them positively.

I pray to god to bless them and bless us.

Dr Diwakar Tejaswi

MBBS (Gold Medalist); MCH; FCCP; Ph.D.

Medical Director

RATNEI, IHO

MIG- 161, Lohianagar, Kankarbagh

Patna 800 020, India.

Phone: +91-612-2351771 ® / +91-9835078298 (Cell)/

+91-612- 2586788 (O)

E-mail: <diwakartejaswi@...>