Ranchi, May 17: A man died in a Ranchi government hospital after doctors refused to operate upon him for a liver problem as he was HIV-positive, his family members have alleged.
Arjun, a driver, was admitted in a serious condition at the Rajendra Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) last week. According to reports, blood was oozing from his liver and his operation was fixed for May 12. It was postponed due to low blood pressure, doctors say.
But relatives allege that doctors started neglecting Arjun after they saw the blood report May 13. The blood test confirmed that Arjun was HIV-positive. Arjun reportedly died in the hospital Monday in the absence of surgery.
The RIMS administration has denied that Arjun was denied an operation due to HIV.
‘The blood presence in Arjun’s body was very low and that is the reason his operation could not be conducted. The allegations that Arjun was not operated upon due to HIV infection is baseless,’ a doctor in the surgery department told IANS.
India has 2.5 million people living with HIV and AIDS. Many suffer due to social stigma against the disease.
–IANS