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"Tragedy of AIDS stigma"
The
Star (www.thestar.com.my)
(05/09/06)
KOLKATA: A pregnant HIV-positive woman was forced to abort her own foetus
after staff in a hospital in eastern India refused to help her, officials
said yesterday.
In a separate incident in the region, an infected man was stoned by people
who feared he might spread the virus. He later died of his injuries.
Investigations in both cases are under way, but authorities and activists
said such incidents underlined how much stigma and even paranoia was
attached to the disease in India.
An estimated 5.7 million Indians live with HIV, more people than in any
other country, according to the United Nations.
The 23-year-old woman, who recently tested HIV-positive, was shunned last
month by doctors and nurses in a state-run hospital here who told her they
would not help her undergo an abortion.
“The hospital had no sympathy for me as I had to pull out the foetus with my
hands and clean myself, as health workers guided me from a distance,” Roshni
Mulani, a mother of a two-year-old child, said.
“They read about my HIV status from medical reports ... and threw medicines
from a distance,” said Mulani, who is recuperating at the house of anti-AIDS
activist Ramen Pandey.
“Many health workers in India still think AIDS can spread by just touching,”
Pandey said.
In the neighbouring state of Orissa, a 35-year-old man with full-blown AIDS
died after he was pelted with stones inside a hospital compound.
“He was strolling in the vicinity when some people threw stones at him last
week,” said Alexander Pahi, a senior police official.
Loknath Mishra tested positive two years ago and was ostracised by his
neighbours, who feared that he may spread the virus.
The victim's brother told police some people had threatened Mishra after
they found out he had AIDS, Pahi said.
Many Indians feel that eating or touching a person with HIV could result in
the virus spreading to them.
In July 2003, an Indian woman was reported to have been stoned to death by
panicky relatives and neighbours in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. —
Reuters
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