Imphal, January 15: Workshops, seminars and meetings conducted on the theme of �Stigma and Discrimination� concerning HIV/AIDS seem to have no meaning and significant impact on the people.

This is apparent from the woes spelt out by a number of HIV infected persons at the one-day interaction programme of legal experts and People Living With HIV and AIDS organised by Manipur Network of Positive people (MNP+) at Kangla today.

During the programme held under the theme of �Come! Walk with us�, members of MNP+ drawn from all the districts and Sugnu area urged for enlightening them with legal procedure to fight against stigma and discrimination in the society.

One woman from Bishnupur narrated that when she brought her son who suffered from diarrhoea at Bishnupur District Hospital, the doctors refused to treat her son on ground that he (son) is infected with HIV.

The woman further recalled that her son was also denied admission in a school at Nambol on the same ground.

After hearing the accounts, the legal experts namely Ch Narendra and Sushil Huidrom said a criminal case can be filed against the doctors for neglecting their duty.

Such doctors should also be sensitized on the subject matter, they suggested.

As for denial of admission in school, the lawyers noted that necessary legal action can be taken up against the school authority.

A widow complained that soon after the death of her husband from AIDS, she was expelled from the house by her in-laws and when she sought refuge at her parental home, her own kinsmen rejected her.

�I have no place to stay with my four children�, the woman bemoaned.

Listening to her heart-rending story, the legal experts said although she cannot claim legal heir on the land of her deceased husband as her father-in-law is alive, she has every right to reside there (house of her deceased husband along with the children).

A man too complained that when a group of HIV positive people went to a hospital at Imphal to visit one of their friends with similar ailment, the nurses easily identified the man as a HIV infected person.

Wondering how the nurses knew that the patient was HIV positive, he contended that it amounts to breach of confidentiality on HIV and AIDS status of a patient.

Another woman pointed out that a children home had rejected entry of her HIV positive son.

On this the advocates maintained that if the Home has the provision to take care and keep children infected with the deadly disease, there is substantial ground for filing a criminal case against the centre.

Many of the HIV infected women who presented their accounts to the legal experts lamented that their neighbours shun them from any gathering with them.

To this aspect, the legal experts said that the matter could be redressed only when a law on HIV and AIDS is framed.

The legal experts also expect that the Parliament would pass a bill in this connection very soon.

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