Lady Harding, Delhi: Denial of Blood and treatment of HIV positive pregnant women.

[Guest guest]

The Delhi High Court is direct to Government to provide Blood to HIV

Positive pregnant Women*

The family of patient belong to Bihar and is living below poverty line, the

husband and wife both are HIV positive, they have faced harassment at native

place on ground of their HIV status. she have not provided any treatment on her

advance pregnancy stage they moved to Delhi on 12 January 2011.

The women who is the nine month pregnant and is admitted in the Lady

Harding medical collage on 24 of Decembers 2011 for delivery of her

foetus.

On 29.12.2010, her haemoglobin level was 7.6 and the CD-4 count was 264. the

haemoglobin was below normal; hence she was requested to procure one unit of

blood in order to facilitate the cesarean, the husband inform the hospital that

as he ia also HIV positive, he

cannot donate blood and as there was no other family member available in Delhi

or in nearby areas, he can also not procure any other doner.

Hospital did not take this into consideration and again on 3^rd

January-2011 asked to arrange for the blood for surgery. Again he told his

inability to donate the blood.

On 12^th January, the hospital again informed the Husband and his wife that if

they cannot provide blood doner, that hospital would conduct normal delivery

instead of cesarean,

The hospital have asked to buy three set of gown, gloups mask and kit of

universal precaution, the husband informed to the hospital he has only Rs. 30

only on his pocket.

The husband moved the the High court for denied the basic human Rights to

survive her wife pregnancy with dignity and with out any discrimination.

The HRLN have filled the case into the hon`ble Delhi High Court for

seeking access to blood and treatment under the Right to health, Rights to

dignity and rights to equality and for poor HIV pregnant women

The High Court heard the matter and given direction to the Lady Harding

Hospital:

“*There is an urgent need to issue direction to ensure the protection of the

right to health and life of the women and her foetus. A direction is accordingly

issues to the Medical Superintendent, Lady Harding Medical Collage and Smt.

Sucheta Kriplani Hospital immediately to arrange one unit of blood and further

quantity of blood as may be required, from any of the authorized blood banks. “*

Warm regards

Firoz Khan

HIV/AIDS and the law Initiative

Human Rights Law Network

firozkhan000@...,

hri.delhi@...