Dimapur, August 3 (MExN): A person was today refused dressing of a wound by a local chemist/druggist here on learning that the patient was HIV positive. A pharmacy, M/S Delight Pharma, located alongside Dimapur’s Circular Road, allegedly refused dressing to the person, who is identified to be the president of Positive People ‘s Foundation (PPF).
The aggrieved had sustained a small cut on his right arm and had gone to the said pharmacy for a dressing. In order that care should be taken, the PPF president said he had informed the pharmacist of his Positive status. On learning this, the pharmacist refused to dress the wound on the pretext that “we don’t do such dressing” and that there were no “HIV/AIDS gloves” in the clinic. The aggrieved informed this paper that the wound was hardly even to be called a wound. The wound was hardly the size of a cotton swap. He later sent a friend to the pharmacy again to procure gloves to ascertain the pharmacist’s contention. The pharmacist was asked if there were gloves “to apply henna on the hair.” The pharmacy had gloves.
The PPF president is anguished by the treatment meted out to him and that too none other than by a medical entity. Legal action would be taken against the clinic for the discrimination, the PPF president told this daily. Meanwhile, it is also informed that when confronted, the clinic denied any such treatment given to the Positive person. They are claiming that the gloves were brought “only after the patient went away,” sympathizers informed this paper. Cash memos detailing surgical gloves, bandages etc., were also provided by the aggrieved person as proof.
