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No doctors at Dimapur ART Centre |
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DIMAPUR, FEB 18 (EMN): A very hurt community of People Living with HIV today openly protested against the absence of doctors assigned to the Antiretroviral Therapy (ART)
Centre under NSACS at Dimapur District Hospital while stating that they also ‘have a right to live with dignity.’
The community here lamented that the two doctors posted at the ART centre in Dimapur, which caters to over 600 People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), have been frequently found absent leaving no substitute doctor to cater to their needs.
They stated that had been silently bearing such insensitivity exhibited by the concerned doctors for months, but said the last straw was the death of one of its community members who succumbed to diarrhoea, an Opportunistic Infection (OI), on Tuesday with no doctor to take care of him.
The victim, who reportedly came in for treatment on Monday, had to be admitted to the general hospital because the two doctors at the ART centre were both absent.
It was learnt that one of the doctors is on training while the other is on leave.
The community of PLHIV today revealed in outrage that this was not the first instance of such absence but that it has been blatantly going on for around two years under one excuse or the other.
“If the doctors have any real concern, at least they should leave a substitute at the centre to treat us,” one member voiced.
She also went on to state that Tuesday’s fatality would not have occurred if treatment had been administered for the OI on time. “We are very sensitive to the various ailments and we have to be treated at the right time if we are to see tomorrow,” she said.
“We need dedicated doctors and not just doctors in namesake,” another cried out emotionally.
It was also learnt that one of the ART assigned doctors was supposed to resume duty from February 14 onwards. However, the concerned has not turned up till date.
Meanwhile, Medical Superintendent (MS) Dr Sukhato Sema expressed remorse for what has transpired and said it all happened due to communication failure. He maintained that two stand-in doctors assigned to the centre during the absence of the regular doctors were unable to give their full time to the centre as they had added responsibilities of attending to other patients at the general hospital.
Further maintaining that the ART Centre needs sincere doctors who can relate to the patients, the MS said both Secretary H&FW and Project Director, NSACS Dr Neiphi Kire had been updated about the problems faced by the PLHIV.
Apparently this is not the first case of discontent exhibited by the PLHIV community over the absence of doctors at the ART centre. It was also learnt that in December, during Christmas, the PLHIV members had to force open the gates of the Centre for treatment to around 18 people living with HIV. A doctor also had to be called in from the general hospital to see to their treatment.
PLHIV members informed that the doctors had closed down the ART centre without any information.
The PLHIV community has decided to stage a dharna from tomorrow onwards till the doctors assigned to the ART centre resume their duty.
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the treatment that suppresses or stops a retrovirus. One of the retrovirus is the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS. ART consists of the use of at least three antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to maximally suppress the HIV virus and stop the progression of HIV disease. Huge reductions have been seen in rates of death and suffering when use is made of a potent ARV regimen.
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