Positive people, negative notions

[Guest guest]

Positive people, negative notions

3 Jul, 2007 ISTlPRERNA SHAH, Times News Network /TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Discrimination kills. Especially so, if you are an HIV/Aids patient.

More so, if it happens at the hands of your doctor.

In Meerut, a man was forced to help deliver his baby in a hospital

after doctors there refused to attend to his HIV+ wife. The man and

his pregnant wife came to the Meerut Medical College Hospital on

Wednesday but were denied treatment after the doctors found out that

the woman was HIV+.

The government of India might be spending millions of rupees on

creating awareness about HIV/Aids, but the ground reality is

something different. For, the above incident is not an isolated one.

There is widespread discrimination against HIV/Aids patients and

disturbingly so, as shows a survey carried out by the Gujarat State

Network of Positive People (GSNP+) in collaboration with the Gujarat

State AIDS Control Society. It reveals that prejudices run deep

within the medical fraternity.

Majority of People Living with HIV/Aids (PLWHAs) said that they did

not face discrimination. However when they did, they faced it at

hospitals or clinics (48 per cent), followed by society and the

community (43 per cent), and family (40 per cent). As stated a 22-

year-old woman respondent, " There is rampant discriminatory behaviour

in hospitals. "

Daxa Patel, president of the GSNP+ says that while it is unfortunate

that centres of care and treatment providers could be biased against

those with Aids, it is important to remember that this survey was

conducted in 2001 and the situation at its publication in 2007 has

fortunately taken a turn for the better.

Talking about her own experience, she says, " I have seen both ends of

the spectrum - found a doctor who was responsible for my miraculous

recovery and recuperation after I was diagnosed with Aids. I also

encountered medical staff who were reluctant to even change my

glucose drip because they were in the grip of irrational fears. "

A study carried out last year by the Centre for Operations Research

and Training (CORT), Vadodara, a multidisciplinary social science

research organisation, brings to the fore latent prejudices against

people living with HIV/Aids and reinforces the fact that we need to

do much more.

Says Hemlata Sadhwani, manager research, CORT, " Many doctors shy away

from treating HIV/Aids patients because they believe they would lose

their clientele or goodwill and are afraid that other patients might

object to the presence of HIV patients in the hospital. " The study

found out that para-medics had higher prejudices towards HIV+ people

than doctors.

Alka Narang, head-HIV and Development Unit, United Nations

Development Programme , admits that discrimination does rear its ugly

head at hospitals. " We can seek some comfort in the fact that if you

compare Gujarat with other parts of India, the level of

discrimination is lower. A hundred per cent awareness of HIV and

training for health care providers will greatly reduce stigma and

discrimination at the hospital setting. "

Says Dr D M Saxena, additional project director, Gujarat Aids Control

Society, " There is a 0.3 potential risk of doctors and paramedical

staff getting infected through handling material or contamination

through their handling of HIV/Aids patients. We make sure that there

is enough advocacy, information and equipment to protect and empower

them to do their duty. "

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/City_Supplements/Ahmedabad_T

imes/Positive_people_negative_notions_/articleshow/2167566.cms