SHILLONG: The Meghalaya State Network for Positive People (MSNPP) General Secretary, Barry Leslie Kharmalki, has said that both HIV patients and drug addicts are often turned away by hospitals in the state.
Kharmalki’s statement comes after allegations of HIV patients being denied treatment in two prominent hospitals of Shillong.
Speaking to media persons, Kharmalki said that that they are here to avail what is rightfully theirs- the right to treatment under the HIV Act.
“Meghalaya has a huge denial problem be it HIV or drugs and instead of wasting each other’s time by justifying, we should rather close the gap by correcting all these issues,” Kharmalki said. He claimed that as per the WHO guidelines any viral load below 1000 is considered as successful treatment, but some doctors here are scared to operate them.
“Why are they not following the universal procedure,” he said.
Accompanying Kharmalki was the lady (name withheld on request) who said that the doctors at the Civil Hospital told her that they do not have special tool to operate special people like them and told her that she can get her operation done in a private hospital.
She said that due to financial problems she had to knock the doors of NEIGRIHMS and according to her, the doctors there started giving her excuses such as they do not have qualified doctors to operate her, many are under training and that she should go to Shillong Civil Hospital to get her operation done.
“I was scared and so I just got the medicines prescribed by them and went to Civil Hospital again where the indirect denial followed,” she said further adding that it has been months now and she is dealing with her problems with pain killers.
Informing that she is not well off financially, she said, “The operation will cost me Rs 70,000 in private hospital and I cannot afford the amount.”
Pointing out that the doctor said that she cannot be operated in Civil Hospital but will give her a slip and she can do it elsewhere, the lady added that the doctor is a state clinical panel expert.
