SHILLONG: In what can be termed as serious discrimination, two premiere medical institutes of the city — Shillong Civil Hospital and NEIGRIHMS — have been accused of denying treatment to HIV positive patients.
The matter came to light after the Meghalaya State Network for Positive People (MSNP) alleged that the two government-run hospitals denied treatment to two women since they are HIV positive patients.
MSNP general secretary Barry Leslie Kharmalki told reporters that one of the women who required an operation to remove a cyst was told to bring down her viral load (amount of HIV in a sample of blood) below 50 while according to WHO the viral load below 1000 is considered normal for operation.
“I am not very sure what the relation between the viral note test and cyst operation is. I do not think that there is any link between a viral note test of a person with HIV and the cyst operation. Her viral note is around 516 and in the prescription, the doctor mentioned that she will need to bring it down to 50,” he said.
He said that he had raised the issue during the consultation meeting on HIV Act, 2017 and was told by the Additional Chief Secretary, PW Ingty, to submit a written complaint.
“Even after submitting the written complaint, so far nothing has been done to address this issue. Even the Meghalaya AIDS Control Society has not done anything to address this issue,” he said.
Kharmalki said the Shillong Civil Hospital has around 13 cases of HIV positive people requiring operations for some other ailments, but they have been denied either directly or indirectly.
He also alleged that the head of the Gynaecology department of NEIGRIHMS summarily rejects such patients using words to the effect, “I don’t want to make my operation theatre dirty because of you”.
“The patient with the cyst problem was diagnosed in one of the private hospitals. She was referred to NEIGRHIMS since the treatment was too expensive. On reaching NEIGRHIMS, she revealed about her HIV status and she was allegedly insulted by the doctors and tried to link her status with the operation,” MSNP general secretary alleged.
Kharmalki said that the language used by the doctor in NEIGRHIMS was very harsh and even asked her viral note report.
Referring to a case of another woman, he said that the woman who has gallstones was first denied operation by Civil Hospital, Shillong and then by NEIGRHIMS three months back.
“She has been living on painkillers for the past four months. The doctor at the Civil Hospital told her that they do not have the special tools to treat special people like her. This is very confusing and also very disheartening. I urge upon the NGOs to play a pro-active role since a lot of people are suffering due to the attitude of the doctors in the government hospitals,” the MSNP general secretary said. When contacted the spokesperson of NEIGRIHMS said that he was not aware about the case and would have to ascertain facts from the authorities.
He said the institute has a clear-cut policy that HIV patients should not be discriminated though some precautions are required to be taken by the doctors while treating them.
When contacted, one of doctors on condition of anonymity said that there are only a few grounds on which medical professionals can refuse treatment to a patient.
“One is when the patient refuses to follow the treatment advised by the doctor. Another is when a patient already under the care of one doctor approaches another for treatment. Such patients cannot be accepted unless they are referred by their first doctor, or they leave the care of the first doctor. Finally, a patient whose treatment is beyond the expertise of the doctor can be directed to an expert,” the doctor added.
Meanwhile, when contacted, the state Health Minister, AL Hek, refused to comment on the matter stating that such things have not come to his notice and that there are no formal complaints.