Ludhiana: Infected with HIV, young man fights for justice

July 9, 2008

Infected with HIV, young man fights for justice

Kanchan Vasdev, Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 8: A Haryana-based youth, who was infected with the deadly HIV

virus either by a local nursing home or a public laboratory, is not only

fighting the fatal disease but also police inaction in bringing the guilty to

book.

Gulshan Kumar (22), who is also suffering from renal failure, tested HIV

positive in June, 2005, after he underwent a surgery for kidney stones in a

local hospital and received blood from a public laboratory in April, 2005.

He claims he was infected with HIV either after getting blood from the hospital

or from the laboratory. He has moved from pillar to post to get an inquiry

conducted into the case so that the deadly virus is not transmitted to anybody

else just due to carelessness of health institutes.

Gulshan had complained to the SSP in 2005 after he tested positive for HIV. The

complaint was forwarded to the then civil surgeon and a probe was conducted. A

local doctor was also booked by the police in 2007. Since then no action has

been taken against him.

‘‘I have accepted my fate. I am going to die. But before I meet my end, I want

to ensure that no innocent like me is gifted with this virus. The authorities

concerned cannot treat the precious life like this. They have to learn a

lesson,’’ said Gulshan.

‘‘Despite my body giving in to the disease with every passing day, I will

continue to fight for the cause. I have now written to DIG and SSP also to look

into the matter and deliver me justice,’’ said Gulshan, who visits CMC twice

every week from Karnal to get his dialysis done.

Narrating the sequence of events, Gulshan said he was admitted to a local

hospital in 2004 to get his kidney stone removed. There he found he was

suffering from renal failure. He was getting his dialysis done from the hospital

till 2005 when he was told he would not be given this service anymore. Then he

went to SPS Apollo Hospital where he was told he was HIV positive. Then he got

the final report from Voluntary Testing and Counselling Centre at Civil Hospital

here.

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