Negligence slur raised in death of woman on ART

The Sangai Express
IMPHAL, Oct 8: Negligence of the State AIDS Clinical Expert Panel (SACEP) has taken the life of a 28-year-old woman who has been on ART for years, Organising Committee on Observation of International AIDS Candlelight Memorial has alleged.

In a press conference held at Manipur Press Club today, committee convenor RK Nolinikanta said, the girl passed away on October 2 last as SACEP did not recommend Second Line drugs to the girl although she was not only referred by JNIMS to RIMS Hospital for the said purpose but also recommended by National Commission for Protection of Child Rights to make available of all medical needs.

Nolinikanta added that the girl started taking ART drugs in September 2001. At that time, ART drugs were not provided free of cost by the Government.

However, free ART drugs were made available to after the Government started providing free drugs in April 2004, she added.

As she became drug resistant of First Line ART in the beginning of 2011, Nolinikanta said, the girl was refered by JNIMS to SACEP to provide Second Line ART.

SACEP however continued to keep the girl on First Line alternative drug instead of providing her Second Line drugs without checking her viral load for one and a half year, she added. Due to this wrong treatment, Nolinikanta said, CD4 Count of the girl came down from 180 to 57 which ultimately led to the death of the woman.

Saying that National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) has rated RIMS Hospital with ‘Excellent’ grade in HIV/AIDS treatment, Nolikanta added that SACEP was set up in 2008 in the hospital to recommend Second Line ART drugs to those who are resistant to First Line ART drugs.

Maintaining that SACEP never directed the girl to check her viral load Nolinikanta added that SACAP had its meetings only three times during the last one and a half year.

Both the parents of the girl died of AIDS and she was living with her maternal grand parents since 2003.

During a public hearing conducted in Imphal on August 17 last year, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights recommended the State Government to provide all medical needs to the girl.

Grandfather of the girl said, his grand daughter was admitted at RIMS Hospital on September 24 last with complaints of lack of appetite and headache.

The girl was however administered only IV fluid and no senior doctor ever examined her during her stay at the Ward of the hospital, the grandfather said.

He added that the girl was discharged on September 29 without giving any reason.

She was again rushed at RIMS Casualty service on October 2 as her condition was deteriorating.

SACEP decided to hold a meeting on October 6 to provide Second Line ART to the girl, the grandfather said, it was however too late as the innocent girl passed away before they could provide her drugs.

Organising Committee on Observation of International AIDS Candlelight Memorial is a conglomerate body of around 20 different NGOs working in the field of HIV/AIDS.

The State has 12,000 persons living with HIV who are currently on First Line ART while the number of PLHIVs who are on Second Line ART is 88. Another 87 PLHIVs are taking alternative First Line ART drugs.