The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Discrimination still plagues people with HIV

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Monday, Nov 30, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Discrimination still plagues people with HIV

R.Sujatha

Though situation in Tamil Nadu has improved, of late

PLHAs still face trouble in getting rental accommodation, medical treatment
“The behaviour of hospital staff differs when they learn of the patient’s status”

CHENNAI: While persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) unanimously agree that the situation in Tamil Nadu has improved in the last five years and the hard-nosed advocacy to ensure that they are not discriminated against has helped, life is far from normal.

PLHAs still face trouble in getting a rental accommodation, medical treatment and are the first to be laid off. They end up paying twice or three times more for medical treatment as they do not want to be denied access to healthcare.

“The moment I declare my condition, in a government hospital they will give me a bed in the corner of the room or near the bathroom. In private hospitals they will say we don’t have facility or ask us to pay twice or three times more for a procedure,” says P. Kousalya President, Positive Women Network (PWN+).

She recalls that a computer professional was asked to return to his home country after the organisation he was working for in the city learnt of his status.

When it comes to providing pension to the widowed, officials expedite the process if a widow declares herself positive, Ms. Kousalya says.

In such cases, a woman would receive her pension within three months. A PLHA certificate ensures that government pension is settled quickly, says Ms. Kousalya, who declared herself a widow to prevent delays.

Recalling an incident at the Government Hospital in Chengalpet a fortnight ago where a woman was thrown out of the hospital after she was found to be positive, K.K. Abraham, president of Indian Network for People living with HIV/AIDS, says, “Disclosure of status is not easy as there is fear of discrimination. In rural areas discrimination is more.” A volunteer at Government Kilpauk Hospital admits that the behaviour of the hospital staff differs when they learn of the patient’s positive status.

Neglect of women

“Neglect of women who come for pregnancy or abortion is very common,” says Sujatha Natarajan, President of Family Planning Association of India, which works with PLHA.

In the last six months her organisation provided abortion services to three pregnant women in Chennai who were denied treatment by private hospitals.

“Excuses abound. All this happens in the name of caution. With all the sensitisation which we are doing for others discrimination comes from the medical fraternity. The situation is worse for unmarried women, a transgender or commercial sex workers. Non-judgemental approach to the issue has not happened.

S. Manimegalai, a PLHA working in Villupuram district, says disclosure will happen when the house owner gets curious about the frequent hospital visits.

“So long as our health is good and we look good, no doubts arise but once the status is known we are asked to vacate the house,” she says.

There have also been instances where a person was laid off on the pretext that the company had moved to a far-off place.

YRG Care will soon inaugurate a special surgical unit for PLHA on its campus and a special unit for dialysis for positive people was started only last week in the city by TANKER Foundation.

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