BALANGIR: Notwithstanding the massive AIDS awareness drive to remove stigma associated with the disease from the society, the real picture in Odisha continues to be the same even today. In a worrying incident, medical staff displayed wanton discrimination of an HIV positive expectant mother and refused her a bed at the district headquarters hospital, here.The woman was asked to lie on the verandah of the hospital where she gave birth to a girl. The incident came to light after the woman lodged a complaint with the Chief District Medical Officer following her delivery.
The woman from Chudapali village of the district was admitted at the hospital on Sunday after developing labour pain. The authorities in charge of the maternity ward, however, did not allot her a bed as they came to know of her HIV status. The woman was asked to put up in the verandah instead and underwent her delivery there itself.
The discriminatory treatment meted out to her has caused a furore among locals and rights activists. “It is highly unfortunate and condemnable that an HIV positive patient got such treatment in a state-run hospital. We demand stringent action by the health authorities,” a social activist Jaya Krishna Mishra said.
The hospital has been constantly in the news for wrong reasons like irregularities and unscrupulous practices. There have been allegations that the nurses and other staff are taking bribe from parents, post delivery. The rates are alleged to range between `1500 and `2000 per delivery and such is situation that they are even demanding money for stillborn babies. Those who are not able to cough up the demanded sum are subjected to harassment. In February this year also, the hospital authority had drawn flak when some kids were found to have been administered expired saline by its staff.
CDMO Sugyanendra Mishra has ordered an inquiry into the allegations.
