Govt hospital staff in UP identify HIV-positive patient,refuse aid

The next morning,the staff wrote “HIV” on a piece of paper and pasted it on the wall behind his bed in surgical emergency ward.

When the attendants of patient objected and reported the matter to ANP Plus,the sign was removed on the instruction of Dr Amitabh Upadhaya,anti-retroviral officer of SRN hospital.

The staff then wrote ART (Anti-retroviral Therapy) on the wall and tied a red ribbon,the monogram of NACO,on the drip stand,said the relatives of the patient.

Further,the doctors allegedly refused to treat the patient,saying proper medical kits were not available in the hospital.

The attendants of the patient and the members of NGO reported the matter to District Magistrate Rajeev Agrawal and Chief Medical Officer Dr PK Sinha.

“We were asked to purchase gloves and other items from outside. We also had to do the dressings of the patient,” said Mangal Singh,the attendant.

On Thursday morning,fed up with the antipathy of the hospital staff and doctors,the family got the patient discharged and decided to go to the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS),Delhi.

The Superintendent-in-Chief of SRN hospital,Dr Shradhha Dwivedi,said she has ordered a departmental inquiry into the matter. She also said she had provided five medical kits for the treatment of the patient.

Sanjit Kumar Sharma,an office-bearer of ANP Plus,said: “It is an offence to refuse treatment to an HIV positive patient and it a more serious offence to identify him as HIV positive. The behaviour of doctors and hospital staff was uncalled for and strict action must be taken against those responsible.”