Hyderabad: HIV patient refused admission, delivers child on roadside

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HIV patient refused admission, delivers child on roadside

Posted by Malvika Sampat on 5/31/10

Today in Hyderabad, an HIV positive woman had to deliver her baby by the

roadside when a government hospital refused her admission allegedly. This

shocking incident took place on Sunday evening in Suryapet town of Nalgonda

district which is about 170 km from Hyderabad.

She was shielded in saris and assisted by a woman who escorted her and also by

other women who were working nearby, according to the delayed report that

reached the state capital.

The lady, Alivelu who is the wife of daily wage labourer fro mthe Kesaram

village of Nalgonda, when reached Government Area Hospital in Suryapet, after

checking her blood when she found HIV-positive, the hospital staff who were on

duty that time, allegedly refused her admission by saying the doctors were not

available.

This 28 years old woman was asked to come the next day to the hospital. Some of

her relatives tried to get her admitted to a private hospital but they could not

arrange the money. Meanwhile she developed labour pains and then some local

women came forward and helped her.

These women were the farm labour and some worked on construction sites so it was

extremely dangerous as their hands may have been cut and bruised. They were

unknowingly helping that HIV positive woman and moreover they were not having

any protective gear like handgloves.

Andhra Pradesh State Aids Control Society director, V.Chandravadan, told that

now the hospital has suspended the two duty doctors. He said " there was no

reason for a government hospital to deny admission to any HIV-infected person.

So action will definitely be taken against those found guilty " .

The mother would have been administered nevirapine to ensure that her baby is

not born infected with HIV, if the delivery had been medically supervised. Now

both mother and son are at a community health center for HIV patients.

http://www.allindiatoday.com/7482/hiv-patient-refused-admission-delivers-child-o\

n-roadside