No discrimination in local hospitals<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The city health office will not ask hospitals in
\nJakarta to provide special isolation rooms for AIDS patients in
\nan effort not to discriminate.<\/p>\n
The Deputy Chief of the City Health Office, Aslan Lasman, told
\nThe Jakarta Post and Antara yesterday that the city
\nadministration has tried to put AIDS prevention in a context
\nwhich considers AIDS to be a common communicable disease, without
\ntreating patients differently.<\/p>\n
Aslan said that there is no need to establish special
\nhospitals for AIDS patients since the city administration and the
\ncentral government have applied an integrated prevention method,
\nwhich is being carried out by all health related offices in the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
However, Aslan said that special bedrooms will be provided to
\nall AIDS patients who are in advanced stages or who are dying
\nfrom various symptoms such as heavy bleeding, infections and
\ndiarrhea.<\/p>\n
\"The reason is because the immune system of AIDS patients is
\nalready low and we must protect them from any infections which
\ncould occur if they were placed in a common room,\" Aslan said.<\/p>\n
Aslan said that the isolation rooms are also meant to protect
\nother patients and hospital employees from the possible infection
\nfrom the tuberculosis virus.<\/p>\n
Little knowledge<\/p>\n
According to Aslan, the city's efforts to prevent AIDS from
\nspreading have also been hampered by health office employers who
\nhave little knowledge of the deadly disease or of the standard
\nprocedures on how to handle their patients.<\/p>\n
He said that the increase in the number of people with AIDS
\nhas dramatically increased from three people in 1987 to seven
\npeople in 1990 and that the number is on the rise.<\/p>\n
\"The number keeps increasing. In 1991 there were eight people,
\n18 people in 1992, 23 people in 1993 and 22 more people as of
\nOctober this year,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Based on the projection of the health ministry, Aslan said
\nthat by the year 2005 there could be up to 400,000 to 800,000
\nAIDS cases in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Aslan said that Jakarta is especially prone to AIDS because of
\nits high rate of unemployment which tends to force many
\nundereducated women into prostitution, further spreading the
\nvirus through sexual intercourse.<\/p>\n
He said that the city administration has established a Jakarta
\nAIDS prevention commission. The commission has made many public
\npresentations and AIDS prevention campaigns which target people
\nwho are considered to be in the high risks groups, such as
\nprostitutes, homosexuals and transvestites. (mas)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/no-discrimination-in-local-hospitals-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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