HIV Positive Persons

Recently the New Indian Express' Thiruvananthapuram City Suppliment The City Express has reported a news item “Denial of Treatment: Protests Galore “(June 1st, 2007) on the reported refusal of the city's reputed private hospital the Cosmopolitan Hospital to treat a HIV Positive person Ashok K. Nair, who was involved in a fatal accident. If it is true, the merciless act of the Cosmopolitan Hospital of refusing to treat an HIV positive tantamounts to medical highhandedness, if not atrocious. It is more unfortunate that this has happened in a state like Keralam which boasts of a very high degree of awareness and sympathy for the disadvantaged sections of the society. The stigma of being HIV positive should not come in way while admitting a patient during medical emergencies .With double precautions they could have handled the situation irrespective of the HIV status of the accident victim .If the hospital turned down the patient due to some technical or administrative problem, they cannot be blamed. The Cosmopolitan Hospital episode should serve as a lesson for the private hospitals not only in Thiruvananthapuram abut also the rest of in the state to exercise more caution and care while dealing with the HIV Positive persons.
However, the response of the Indian Medical Association and Kerala Government Medical Officers' Association was salutary and encouraging. Since bodes well for the HIV Positive persons this will be welcomed for their affirmative content. It is an acknowledged fact that the HIV patients require special consideration and care even in normal circumstance. During traumatic conditions this multiplies. Therefore, the private medical centres have equal, if not more, responsibility towards the hapless HIV Positive persons.