HIV Positive Patients Integrated Into Medical Wards

An article by Sheldon Yearwood    4 Comments

By Sheldon Yearwood

HIV positive patients at the San Fernando General Hospital no longer feel segregated, isolated or discriminated.

They have been integrated into the general wards at hospital.

This since the closure of Ward 2 on the ground floor, which was used to manage HIV positive patients.

Speaking on the matter were Dr. Samuel Aboh and Nurse Anna Abraham of the South West Regional Health Authority.

Nurse Abraham says this is in keeping with erasing the stigma attached to those living with the virus.

Now, the next question people may ask is…are the other patients made privy of this information?

Well, the answer is…no.

She stressed that the same confidentiality rights other patients have, must be upheld for those living with HIV.

Very aware that this revelation may cause a level of uneasiness by members of the public, particularly those in the hospital, they said there is no need to worry.

Management of any case, whether an HIV patient or otherwise is done with the highest level of professionalism and of course the virus cannot be spread by someone sharing the same space with another.

Furthermore, for those who believe that this decision is unfair to the other patients, Dr. Aboh says it’s actually the other way around because HIV positive patients are more at risk.

This is due to the fact that they have a weakened immune system thus they are susceptible to any bacteria or diseases, than other patients.