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( Tale 2 of healers suffering themselves )
The whole medical fraternity was excited to witness a first mega event , a seminar on the current most topic of interest to the world at that time. The seminar on HIV and AIDS had invited faculty from far and wide. The whole show was sponsored by Indian pharma companies manufacturing generic anti retro viral drugs. I being , one of the first few in the region offering treatment to such patients was a natural invitee. I was not invited as audience but as a faculty and the topic allotted to me was most easy as well as difficult. I was to speak on counseling of victims and their families. The desire to shine among the galaxy of stars of the field , led me to prepare an extra ordinary show of talent. I convinced, one of my patients ( Surjit Kaur) to declare her status in public , just on the strength of my counseling skills. I wanted to prove to the people that there is nothing to feel ashamed of , to feel stigmatized . I wanted to tell people that one can live despite the virus and live with dignity. Surjit Kaur was working as a staff nurse in a hospital , I used to visit and admit HIV patients. That day she was on a night duty and was down with fever for sometime. She had been listening to my lectures on the disease and attending my patients too. Like many of paramedics , she also took the Internet path to diagnose her ailment and got her HIV test done without asking anyone . Next morning ,she was off duty , but the breaking news of her being tested positive spread like wild fire in the hospital. The whole hospital knew her HIV status before she could know. Two days later , the glass panes of hospital were broken and the security guards had a real tough time in facing the fury of Surjit and her husband. Her husband refused to get himself tested and was certain that hospital has given the virus to her by way of not providing adequate universal precautions to her and other staff while handling HIV victims. Once the storm went over , the hospital authorities with all cunningness at their command , forced Surjit to resign. A reluctant repulsive world which had its fulcrum as her husband forced her to find newer ways to survive. She landed in my chamber. I was furious at the inhumane behavior of the husband and hospital both. With tact and cajoling I could tackle her husband , who confessed and was confirmed also as the source of her ailment. But hospital , her employers , were not to be tamed , just because the cowardice raised its head in her body and soul. Despite assurances of legal help and standing by her , she refused to fight for her rights. I was left with no other option but to bow to her wishes and put her on treatment. I could manage the drugs from some donations I used to get from
Dermatology patients for such patients. Anti retroviral drugs started working and she also started looking for more work. Fortune , they say favors the brave. Same happened with this lady ,who might not have fought for her working rights but did fight like a brave woman for her life. She was offered a job again. This time she was offered a job in a sister branch of same hospital which had shown her the door earlier. The fear of rejection after testing before joining , brought her to me ,midway through her routine monthly visits. I was sure about the procedures. Based on the basis of that surety , I reassured her that no one will test her for HIV. It was not the norm then. She got the job again and joined as staff nurse in OT. The surgeon of the main hospital was now posted in the sister branch. Bad luck was still chasing her. The surgeon took no time in remembering her old Saga. It was a different matter that despite the old saga she was a new person now. My assurances and support helped her acquire the much needed courage to face adversities. She made the surgeon speak to me and I did the rest of the job. She was retained this time and only change she was made to face was getting charge of duties not entailing handling of blood. The couple was happy with my help from time to time. They had become real tough guys. Tough to the extent ,that ,they agreed to openly declare their status in that first ever seminar of its kind and make me a super star in the eyes of many. Medical fraternity did not only applaud my presentation but also appreciated the courage of the couple and my counseling capabilities. I walked the talk and became the talk of the town because of the gutsy couple. Surjit and her husband are still around and are aging gracefully with HIV , which has bowed its head to their courage.
My salutes to Surjit duo.
Rakesh Bharti
The whole medical fraternity was excited to witness a first mega event , a seminar on the current most topic of interest to the world at that time. The seminar on HIV and AIDS had invited faculty from far and wide. The whole show was sponsored by Indian pharma companies manufacturing generic anti retro viral drugs. I being , one of the first few in the region offering treatment to such patients was a natural invitee. I was not invited as audience but as a faculty and the topic allotted to me was most easy as well as difficult. I was to speak on counseling of victims and their families. The desire to shine among the galaxy of stars of the field , led me to prepare an extra ordinary show of talent. I convinced, one of my patients ( Surjit Kaur) to declare her status in public , just on the strength of my counseling skills. I wanted to prove to the people that there is nothing to feel ashamed of , to feel stigmatized . I wanted to tell people that one can live despite the virus and live with dignity. Surjit Kaur was working as a staff nurse in a hospital , I used to visit and admit HIV patients. That day she was on a night duty and was down with fever for sometime. She had been listening to my lectures on the disease and attending my patients too. Like many of paramedics , she also took the Internet path to diagnose her ailment and got her HIV test done without asking anyone . Next morning ,she was off duty , but the breaking news of her being tested positive spread like wild fire in the hospital. The whole hospital knew her HIV status before she could know. Two days later , the glass panes of hospital were broken and the security guards had a real tough time in facing the fury of Surjit and her husband. Her husband refused to get himself tested and was certain that hospital has given the virus to her by way of not providing adequate universal precautions to her and other staff while handling HIV victims. Once the storm went over , the hospital authorities with all cunningness at their command , forced Surjit to resign. A reluctant repulsive world which had its fulcrum as her husband forced her to find newer ways to survive. She landed in my chamber. I was furious at the inhumane behavior of the husband and hospital both. With tact and cajoling I could tackle her husband , who confessed and was confirmed also as the source of her ailment. But hospital , her employers , were not to be tamed , just because the cowardice raised its head in her body and soul. Despite assurances of legal help and standing by her , she refused to fight for her rights. I was left with no other option but to bow to her wishes and put her on treatment. I could manage the drugs from some donations I used to get from
Dermatology patients for such patients. Anti retroviral drugs started working and she also started looking for more work. Fortune , they say favors the brave. Same happened with this lady ,who might not have fought for her working rights but did fight like a brave woman for her life. She was offered a job again. This time she was offered a job in a sister branch of same hospital which had shown her the door earlier. The fear of rejection after testing before joining , brought her to me ,midway through her routine monthly visits. I was sure about the procedures. Based on the basis of that surety , I reassured her that no one will test her for HIV. It was not the norm then. She got the job again and joined as staff nurse in OT. The surgeon of the main hospital was now posted in the sister branch. Bad luck was still chasing her. The surgeon took no time in remembering her old Saga. It was a different matter that despite the old saga she was a new person now. My assurances and support helped her acquire the much needed courage to face adversities. She made the surgeon speak to me and I did the rest of the job. She was retained this time and only change she was made to face was getting charge of duties not entailing handling of blood. The couple was happy with my help from time to time. They had become real tough guys. Tough to the extent ,that ,they agreed to openly declare their status in that first ever seminar of its kind and make me a super star in the eyes of many. Medical fraternity did not only applaud my presentation but also appreciated the courage of the couple and my counseling capabilities. I walked the talk and became the talk of the town because of the gutsy couple. Surjit and her husband are still around and are aging gracefully with HIV , which has bowed its head to their courage.
My salutes to Surjit duo.
Rakesh Bharti
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