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Merciless: HIV/AIDS patient turned away from hospital in Rangoon
Sep 23, 2006 (DVB) - A very young HIV/AIDS patient was expelled from Rangoon Weibagi Contagious Disease Hospital because her mother took an emergency medical treatment at a private clinic.
To make the matter worse, the doctor in charge has also cut off antiretroviral medication and injections prescribed for the patient and she is said to be mortally ill as a result.
The patient’s mother Cherry told DVB that she has been taking her daughter to Weibagi hospital for treatments, but one day she had to take her to the nearest clinic as she herself was not feeling well and it was when the hospital was closed. When she went to the hospital again, child specialist Dr. Myint Myint Lwin expelled her and her daughter from the hospital.
“So you have money in abundance, eh? Off you go, Daw Myint Myint Lwin from Weibagi hospital (told me),” Cherry said. “Dear doctor, my daughter’s medicine course is about to finish, only one case is left (I said). In that case, go and buy it yourself. I will cut off all the medications even if they are finished, (she said). When I said I went there (to the clinic) because her condition was very bad, and she told me to go to that doctor. You have to leave. I don’t care for your disease. You have to leave, (she said). Please do not do that doctor. My daughter hasn’t finished her injection course for her TB. Please discharge her after she finishes her TB injections. When I said that she replied she could not wait until then. You have to leave and told us to go. Now, my child is running out of medicines.”
This is one of the examples of patients suffering the impacts of rivalries between doctors in private clinics and public hospitals.
“I went to the doctor to apologise at her home. I kowtowed and sought her forgiveness. I was on my knees with my child and said I am wrong doctor. I will not go to the clinic again. I said that with my arms embracing her legs. Now I have been to the doctor’s house twice. Don’t be ‘long-tongued’. You have to leave, she said and she told us to leave on 21. When other doctors persuaded her to let us go after taking the injections, she told them that they are ‘long tongued’. Who told you to be long tongue and told them off. I went to see her to apologise three times. Nothing could dissuade her.”
We contacted Dr. Myint Myint Lwin but could not get through to her.
“She is unable to eat or sleep, just lying there,” explained Cherry her daughter’s latest situation. “From the morning, she has dizziness and becoming thin. She can’t eat. I am afraid that something will become of my daughter because of the psychological disease. Now, he weight has gone down.”
Recently, Burmese authorities also arrested HIV/AIDS patients and volunteers who were making preparations for a religious memorial services for all the victims of the deadly disease.
http://english.dvb.no/news.php?id=7921
