LARKANA: An elderly woman, hailing from Ratodero, suffering from AIDS was denied admission for treatment of her co-infections at the emergency department of Chandka Medical College Hospital (CMCH) on Monday.
She protested and laid down herself on the floor in front of the casualty department for about three hours before media persons reached the spot and aided her in getting admitted for treatment.
Larkana HIV/AIDS Treatment and Care Centre Incharge Dr Hola Ram said that the woman is registered with the centre since the last seven years as an HIV positive patient but her current Viral Load Test (VLT) is 180 due to which a viral disease has converted into AIDS.
Her daughter Sakina told the media that her mother had several medical complications, including fever, hepatitis and other ailments. She said that they were referred to CMCH from Ratodero for treatment but nobody was ready to admit her whereas no reason was given for the discriminatory treatment.
Meanwhile, the issue which was shared on social media along with the aged woman’s photograph went viral, bringing a bad name to the provincial rulers, health department, CMCH and the Sindh AIDS Control Programme.
Citizens are of the opinion that the above mentioned institutions have failed to motivate duty doctors to provide proper admission and treatment to HIV patients and refrain from subjecting them to discrimination based on stigma.
