HIV patient dies after clinics show him the door

January 24, 2007

Statesman News Service

KRISHNAGAR, Jan. 22: A 35-year-old man who contracted HIV died of

full blown AIDS yesterday in a NGO based hospice at Behala in Kolkata

after hospitals allegedly refused to treat him when he was infected

with the virus.

Gour Mondol of Pratapnagar in Nabadwip, who caught the virus two

years ago, was reportedly not examined in any hospital starting from

Nabadwip

Saktinagar District Hospital in Krishnagar, Kolkata Nilratan Sirkar

Medical College and Hospital and Kolkata SSKM.

The victim's family finally contacted the Nadia Network for People

Living with HIV/AIDS, an organisation in Ranaghat and they admitted

him to a hospice at Behala Chowrasta recently.

According to the district president of Nadia Network, Mr Jugal

Debnath, Mondol was turned away by Nabadwip hospital authorities who

refused to conduct a blood test on him.

He was then admitted to Saktinagar District Hospital where he was

diagnosed as HIV positive.

He was refused treatment following the diagnosis. Subsequently,

Mondol attempted suicide. He later had a short stint at Nabadwip

hospital.

" When we were informed about him by his family members, Mondol

We took him after hiring an ambulance to the NRS but the hospital

authority refused to admit him. We then took him to SSKM but there

was ostensibly no bed for the patient. Finally, we admitted him to

the Behala hospice where he died yesterday.

We will submit a memorandum to the chief minister on the matter, " Mr

Debnath said.

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