Health workers contribute discrimination against HIV\/AIDS<\/p>\n
Debbie A. Lubis, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Despite massive media campaigns, people living with HIV\/AIDS
\ncontinue to receive discriminative treatment from hospitals and
\nhealth workers, according to activists.<\/p>\n
Discrimination against people with HIV\/AIDS ranges from the
\nrefusal by hospitals and health workers to provide health care,
\npostponement of medical treatment, additional fees for the use of
\nhealth facilities and the revealing of blood test results.<\/p>\n
\"Such discrimination threatens the freedom and privacy of
\npeople living with HIV\/AIDS. They cannot get appropriate
\ntreatment, not to mention express their feelings,\" Tuti Parwati
\nMerati of Udayana University in Bali said during a seminar in the
\ncapital earlier this week.<\/p>\n
Most of the speakers and participants of the seminar were
\nHIV\/AIDS activists and people living with HIV\/AIDS.<\/p>\n
Discrimination against people with HIV\/AIDS also comes from
\ntheir families and people in their neighborhoods who receive
\nincorrect information from health workers, according to a survey
\nconducted last year by the Spiritia Foundation, in cooperation
\nwith UNAIDS, AusAID and the Ford Foundation.<\/p>\n
The survey involved 42 HIV-positive interviewees and five HIV-
\npositive interviewers in 10 provinces: Jakarta, West Java,
\nYogyakarta, East Java, Bali, West Sumatra, Riau, South Sulawesi,
\nPapua and East Nusa Tenggara.<\/p>\n
A case study attached to the survey results described how one
\nfamily isolated a young HIV-positive daughter at home for three
\nmonths based on a doctor's recommendation.<\/p>\n
Tuti noted that some HIV-positive people received different
\ntreatment from friends and were excluded from family occasions.<\/p>\n
Others were discriminated against in their workplaces. They
\nlost their jobs, had their duties changed and received pay cuts
\nafter the employers learned they were HIV positive.<\/p>\n
The survey also showed that several respondents received
\nverbal abuse while in public and were forced to reveal their HIV
\nstatus when dealing with the immigration office.<\/p>\n
Tuti, an internist who identified the first person with AIDS
\nin Indonesia in 1987, said some HIV-positive people were forced
\nto take blood tests by health workers against their will.<\/p>\n
\"Most of them never receive an explanation about the test.
\nWorst of all, the test results are sometimes disclosed by the
\nhealth workers in front of other people,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Broto Warsisto, chairman of the Committee on Drug Abuse
\nControl at the Ministry of Health, said that theoretically health
\nworkers were not allowed to discriminate against anyone. However,
\nhe conceded, in practice discrimination did occur.<\/p>\n
According to the ministry's records, there were 2,147 HIV-
\npositive people and 957 people living with AIDS in Indonesia as
\nof September of this year.<\/p>\n
He underlined the need for regulations to prevent
\ndiscrimination against people living with HIV\/AIDS.<\/p>\n
\"People living with HIV\/AIDS and activists should put
\npolitical pressure on decision makers and professional
\nassociations so they will produce policies that are not
\ndiscriminative against these people,\" Broto said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/health-workers-contribute-discrimination-against-hivaids-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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