Press releaseDeath hospitals! Subject: The hospitals of death! A damning report According to the 2015 report of the HIV - Ethics and Human Rights Observatory (OVEDH) concerning violations of the rights of key populations, three alarming figures should be remembered: - 47% of the violations to rights collected affect the hospital environment, in particular those of the right of access to care. - 44% of the total of these violations concern people living with HIV. - 20% of these violations concern migrants, a population suffering from poor healthcare coverage. In addition to these dire numbers, there are new violations often committed by hospital staff who are supposed to assist these people and not incriminate them, stigmatize them and, in extreme cases, leave them unassisted. Babies, children, women and men, no one is spared this stigma in the hospital environment. Violations that can lead to death! Nowadays HIV does not kill anymore. A person can live with HIV as with any chronic disease, but the stigma really kills! The specialized investigation site Nawaat, published an article dated August 19, chronicling the case of Y.N, a 5-year-old child who was refused treatment because of his HIV status. "Y.N, a 5-year-old child suffering from the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), was interned at Taher Maamouri hospital (Nabeul) on July 27 following a traffic accident. During his stay, the child was subjected to mistreatment by hospital staff. He is denied treatment. We throw him in the halls after his operation. He is outright urged to leave the establishment. The medical staff, however warned, reject Y.N because he has HIV. Enlightenment on discrimination hidden by taboos and neglect. ”This is not an isolated case. For example, on September 1, at the Wassila Bourguiba maternity center, a mother living with HIV was refused admission to give birth. inscription "HIV" at the foot of his bed; the same inscription that appears on the front of her medical file, and again on her baby's bed! The dehumanization that strikes people living with HIV is reaching new heights. It was even forbidden to other women sharing the room of this patient to give her assistance, in particular to help her change. We all have a role to play in changing this situation and promoting an environment free from discrimination. We call on the Ministry of Health to ensure the humanization of care, respect for anonymity and the sanction of agents who violate the ethics and human rights of patients. Communication officer: Sabrine SarragiMail: darragi.sabrine@gmail.comTel: 26 311 896 Executive Director ATL MST / Sida Mohamed Bilel Mahjoubi GSM: 26 303 441
Dated:
Thursday, September 8, 2016