Practicing stigma and discrimination in Villupuram General Hosptial

[Guest guest]

Dear members

Greetings from Nandhakumar, President VDS+

All these times we the members of forum discussing lot of issues on stigma and

discrimination occurs to the PLHAs and the ways to tackle the issues.

In connection to that let me throw another incident which had taken place in

Villupuram General Hospital recently performed by the entire medical

practitioner¢s team at the time of delivery to a positive mother.

Mrs.Latha(name changed) was pregnant and was diagnosed for HIV at ICTC, Kadar,

Villupuram (PHC) on 28.03.2008 and found to be HIV+ve; Since then she was

referred to Villupuram ART center for further counselling and treatment.

Mrs. Latha was counselled and was motivated for caesarean operation instead of

normal delivery in order to avoid 20% - 40% risks for the child.

On 16.06.2008 she was admitted in Villupuram General Hospital for caesarean

operation. When she was about to take to the operation theatre she had shocking

news that the medical doctors had refused to conduct the operation to her and

asked her to go to JIPMER hospital, Pondicherry for operation.

Upon enquiry it was told that person who was giving anaesthesia had an injury

(cut) in his thumb and finding very difficult to put anaesthesia injection to

the patient.

Then the issue was brought to the notice of ICTC counsellor, District Program

Manager and ART counsellor by the relatives.

They conducted enquiry with the medical practitioner¢s team about the happening.

The team replied that the injury to the doctor was series and he cannot able to

give anaesthesia injection to the patient.

Then upon request by the relatives and counsellors the doctors accepted to

conduct the normal delivery to the patient in stead of caesarean.

Finally the delivery had taken place in Villupuram General Hospital itself after

a long struggle by the mother.

This incident was referred to VDS+ (Villupuram District HIV Ullor Sangam),

myself and counsellor visited the women (Mrs.Latha) on 17.06.2007.

After talking to the women about the issues we visited the baby in the hospital.

It was shocking to me to see the baby¢s condition not cleaned properly, blood

was present all over his body and was kept isolated.

When I enquired about that with the concerned doctor his reply was not

responsible and blames the existing infra structure facilities of the hospital.

Further I was told by the counsellors and other staff in the hospital that it

was not the only incident happened, it was regularly happening to all the PLHA

pregnant women in Villupuram General Hospital.

The following questions help to understand the severity of stigma and

discrimination strong practised my the medical practitioner in Villupuram

General Hospital:

Why the doctor had an injury (cut) exactly at the time of operation?

I believe that in order to avoid operation to the PLHA pregnant women he made up

the story of cut in his thumb.

Why there is no alternative doctor to give anaesthesia to Latha?

What stopped the doctors to give proper referrals to the other hospital and

ambulance arrangement?

If the injury to the doctor is true, then till his cure, he should not be

operating on anybody in the hospital?

As President of VDS+ my request to all the networks (DLN, SLN and INP+) and

forum members to write the feed backs about this incident.

We are planning to give representation to our collector in order to have an

enquiry on this issue?

Nandhakumar

President

Villupuram District HIV Ullor Sangam,

Villupuram

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