Doctors had told him that he had to undergo surgery to remove blood clots in his left brain that makes him unconscious time and again. [break]
Bharati, who is 29, said that he has gone to almost all the big hospitals in the capital and to B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) in Dharan for the surgery, but to no avail.
Even doctors at Bir Hospital sent him back from the operation theater after learning about his HIV-positive status.
“Doctors at BPKIHS were ready to conduct the surgery but when they learnt that I was HIV-positive they referred me to the capital,” he said. Bharati then tried the Neuro Hospital at Basbari. “After looking at all the reports, doctors there were ready to conduct the surgery,” he said adding, “But just before entering the operation theater I disclosed my HIV status, and they cancelled the operation.”
Bharati then goes to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) for the surgery. There also doctor conduct all the preliminary checkups and give him a date for the operation. But after learning about his status, they postponed the date. Later they asked him to go Bir Hospital.
Bharati then goes to Bir. He said he did not divulge his HIV status until he was shifted to the operation theater.
“They admit me for two days for the operation. I feel I have to tell them the truth. When I do so, they discharge me immediately,” he said adding, “They told me they can do the surgery as it is not very complicated, but on learning about my HIV status nobody wanted to operate on me.”
Similarly, Apsara Koirala has had a problem with her tonsils since the past seven years. Doctors at TUTH told her that she needed surgery.
However, on finding out that she was HIV-positive, they declined to provide the service. Koirala said she then reached Om Hospital.
Doctors there conducted all the tests and asked her to be ready for surgery. “But when they get the HIV report they refused to conduct the surgery,” she said.
She said a female doctor at Kathmandu Medical College assured her that surgery would take place and told her not to worry. She went there and paid for several tests. But when the day for the surgery came, the other members of the surgery team refused to conduct the operation.
“The doctors express their helplessness. I told them that I was receiving antiretroviral therapy but they did not listen,” she said.
Parbati Lama has a similar experience when she goes to hospital for the removal of a tumor.
She said doctors hesitate to conduct surgery on HIV-positive people. “Dozens of infected people are being deprived of services; who cares about our plight,”said Basanta Chhetri of National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS Nepal (NAP+N).
However, Dr Dhurba Adhikari, a neurosurgeon at Bir said that doctors there have never refused to serve the HIV-positive. “I cannot remember Mr Bharati´s case but we have not discriminated against any HIV-infected people,” he said. He said that if his case is not so complicated he can get the surgery at the hospital.
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