West Bengal: HIV-positive pregnant woman quarantined in hospital

October 29, 2007

Statesman News Service

KRISHNAGAR, Oct. 28: An HIV-positive pregnant woman was left

unattended for hours at Kalyani Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Hospital in

Nadia today. The woman was moved to an isolated bed with a sticker on

the forehead marking her as an HIV-positive patient. The patient has

yet not been given proper treatment.

The patient, Pinki Biswas (name changed), a resident of Gayeshpur in

Kalyani, was diagnosed with HIV-Positive during a routine check-up on

23 October when she had come to the hospital for admission for

pregnancy-related problems.

The patient was advised to get admitted on 27 October but thanks to

some problems, could not make it there yesterday. When Pinki reached

the hospital today ~ accompanied by her husband, a daily labourer in

the locality ~ she was denied admission by a section of hospital

employees.

The patient's relatives contacted a local NGO and after its

intervention, the hospital authorities admitted her. Ms Arati Das, a

representative of the NGO, said that they had contacted Dr Nirupam

Biswas, superintendent of the hospital, who asked the ward master to

admit the patient like any other pregnant woman.

But the employees kept her in an isolated bed after pasting the

sticker on her forehead, which is completely illegal and inhuman, Ms

Das said.

" We have contacted the West Bengal State HIV/AIDS Prevention and

Control Society (SACS) and asked them to take action in this regard " ,

she added.

When asked about the matter, Dr Biswas said: " I have already

instructed the ward master to admit the patient and provide proper

treatment like other patients. If anybody has marked the patient by

putting a HIV sticker, proper action will be initiated. "

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