Andhra Pradesh, pregnant woman thrown out of hospital because HIV-positive
Mumbai (AsiaNews) - It is truly sad that a woman was forced to give birth outside a hospital for discrimination against those with HIV. These people need our love, our compassion and our understanding, certainly not humiliation and discrimination. Among other things, actions like this show the ignorance of their perpetrators, those who are HIV positive should not be ostracized because with the right procedures they can be helped". This is how Archbishop of Mumbai, Cardinal. Oswald Gracias comments to AsiaNews on the news of a HIV-positive woman being thrown out of hospital and forced to give birth in the street.
The shameful incident happened last May 30 in Surapet in Nalgonda district to a woman named Alivelu, wife of a day labourer in the village of Kesaram. About to give birth, she reached the government hospital in Suryapet, where a blood test was carried out. Immediately after the results she was HIV positive, she was told that the doctor was "not available" and was forced to leave. On the street she passed out from the pains, some local women helped her to give birth.
The Indian Health Minister, D. Nagender said he was "shocked about what has happened” and announced an investigation: "We will act against those who refused her hospitalization”. Meanwhile Alivelu, who had returned to her village with her son, was admitted to hospital. For Card. Gracias, "the Indian Church has a clear policy on HIV. Our medical facilities know what should be done for those who are infected. Chapter 15 of the guidelines states that Christian institutions should be a visible manifestation of love and charity of God. "
The Church, the cardinal continued, "must provide health services but also social, psychological and spiritual support to those who are sick with AIDS. We have more than 200 institutions working for these type of patients, especially in light of the fact that - in the last 50 years in India - the infected have greatly increased. The Church remains the only single group, after the government for health care presence in the territory. As stated by our Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, a person with AIDS is like Jesus in our midst. How could we say no? ".
Veliath James, who works in health care, explains to AsiaNews: "What happened to poor Alivelu is not an isolated case. Things like this happen almost every day in our country. But Andhra Pradesh is one of the most intolerant states in this respect: there have been cases of murders of people with AIDS, or even of women married to an infected man. "
.png)
04/05/2019 15:38
