PLHIV dies, doctors absent, nurses refuse to attend
Stigma and Discrimination to PLHIV high even among medical practitioners
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Ukhrul, July 26 2011: Themngam, a PLHIV patient and a father of four children, was admitted to the Ukhrul District Hospital after some health complication at about 6pm yesterday.

Disturbingly ,the hospital was found to have no doctor on duty, while the two nurses available refused to attend to the patient who succumbed to his ailments. Stigmatisation and discrimination of PLHIVs, in spite of all efforts by the concern, is still prevalent in the state.

More alarming is that the stigma and discrimination of PLHIV is high even among medical practitioners.

In the backdrop of such a serious discrepancy in the treatment of PLHIV in Ukhrul, the District Hospital here today courted a public ire with the death of A.S.Themngam, an HIV&AIDS patient, after being denied a proper medical attention in the hospital.

"The nurses even refused to administer proper first aid to my husband, and treated us very rudely.

I even had to remove the syringe from my husband's body as the nurses refused to do so," alleged Pangam, the wife of the deceased.

"My husband passed away this morning, and not a single medical staff was around to do the needful," she added.

Members of UNP+ and ISWAR (DIC) have alleged that today's incident is not an isolated case.

"The district hospital staff are not properly oriented on how to treat PLHIV patients.

There have been several unreported incidents of discrimination," said a UNP+ worker.

On receiving the news of alleged discrimination meted out to the PLHA patient this morning, members of Indigenous Mothers Association (IMA), Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong (TKS), Tangkhul Mayar Ngala Long (TMNL), UNP+ and ISWAR (DIC) among others, made a visit and conducted an independent investigation into the incident.

IMA president, Tam Zimik, alleged that, "There was no doctor on duty and the two available nurses refused to attend to the patient.

This is totally an act of discrimination and negligence prevailing in the hospital" .

She was however grateful to Dr.Doren, a child specialist, who was off duty and volunteered to attend to the patient this morning.

According to the hospital assignment roster, Dr.Pamcha was supposed to be on duty last night.

"Where was he? Why did the nurses refused to attend to the patient," asked TMNL president Ningkhan Shangh Shimray.

CMO Dr.Jimkin, who was away to Kasom Khullen to take stock of the malaria outbreak, is not available for comment.

In fact, the PLHA patients in Ukhrul has been facing serious problems with the CD4 Count testing system in the district hospital which is still remaining non functional for about eight months.

"The CD4 Count system cannot be put to use due to non-availability of relevant technicians.

The hospital authorities had even informed the visiting Central team recently," District Immunization Officer and a former CMO, Dr.Chisti, said.

To register their displeasure with the hospital authorities, family members of the deceased refused to take the corpse from the hospital ward.

However, they complied after the visiting members of the Tangkhul organizations signed an undertaking with the hospital authorities.

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