AIDS patients not allowed to enter Bihar CM's janata darbar

October 9, 2007

Anand Mohan Sahay in Patna, October 09, 2007 14:20 IST

A group of female AIDS patients were not allowed to meet Bihar Chief

Minister Nitish Kumar at his much publicised janata darbar on Monday.

" We were stopped at the gate by policemen following instruction from

officials in charge of the janata darbar because we are suffering

from AIDS, " Kamla Sinha told rediff.com in Patna on Tuesday.

Kamla is one of the over dozen women in the group, who are either

suffering from AIDS or are HIV positive. They hail from the districts

of Nawada, Nalanda, Patna and Gaya.

Another member Mohini Devi said that they were being denied proper

treatment and medicines at the Patna Medical College and

Hospital. " We were eager to complain to Nitish Kumar, but did not get

a chance to do so, " she said.

Malini, another member of the group, said that they have been facing

discrimination within their families and from the society. " Everyone

hates us and treats us like untouchables. But now we are not even

allowed to meet the chief minister. Is this not discrimination by the

government itself, " she asked.

However, state Health Minister Chandra Mohan Rai denied that the

women were prevented from meeting Nitish Kumar because they were

suffering from AIDS. " There was nothing like that. Some policemen

might have stopped them at the gate " Rai said.

Rai added that he had directed the PMCH to ensure proper treatment

for these women, after Nitish Kumar asked him to look into their

complaint seriously.

However, there are frequent cases of discrimination against AIDS

patients in the state. " They face social stigma due to widespread

misconceptions regarding AIDS, " a health official said

India has the third highest number of HIV positive patients in the

world, with approximately 2.5 million people living with the deadly

virus.

Names of the patients have been changed to protect their identity

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