HIV+ woman dies at Rohtak PGIMS, was initially denied admission

ROHTAK :An HIV positive woman who was denied admission by the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak, for several days before finally admitting her on July 22 died at the hospital on Wednesday.

The woman, a resident of Sonepat, had been sitting outside the emergency ward of the hospital since July 10 along with her HIV positive husband and two children. On July 14, her husband died due to the disease.

However, the woman was not given admission to the hospital for the next eight days as she sat outside without food and water. She was admitted by the hospital on July 22 after social organisations, media and the child welfare committee (CWC) intervened and highlighted the matter.

The social organisations have now blamed the delay by PGIMS Rohtak for the death of the woman, maintaining the hospital illtreats HIV patients and does not give them proper required care.

The hospital on the other hand had maintained they were giving treatment to the woman but had not admitted her as they did not feel the need for the same taking view of her condition.

After admitting her on CWC’s directions, the PGIMS said it had urged the district administration and Red Cross to give financial help to the woman.

The CWC has now taken the woman’s two kids in its custody and will send them to a suitable shelter home.