Shimla, July 3,
A heart-wrenching case has emerged from Tikkar tehsil of Rohru in Himachal Pradesh, where a 52-year-old HIV positive man, Pawan Kumar (name changed), is struggling to access dialysis treatment. With no dedicated dialysis facilities for HIV patients in the state, his health is rapidly deteriorating. What makes the situation worse is that his 28-year-old son is battling blood cancer, while his 72-year-old mother survives on oxygen support at home.
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Pawan was first admitted to IGMC Shimla on June 10, where his kidney failure was diagnosed. Although he was initially dialysed at IGMC, he was later advised to continue treatment at Rohru. However, Rohru hospital denied dialysis, citing the absence of a separate machine for HIV patients.
“I don’t have the money to travel or get treated privately. Rohru hospital sent me to Ripon, where again I was denied dialysis. I had to return to IGMC and pay for dialysis myself,” Pawan stated.
Dr. Ravindra Sharma, Senior Medical Officer of Rohru hospital, said Hans Foundation, which runs dialysis units in Rohru, lacks a dedicated machine for HIV patients. “Using common machines risks transmission. We’ve written to the foundation to arrange a separate unit, but it will take time,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Managing Director of the National Health Mission, Dr. Gopal Beri, acknowledged this as the first such case in the state. “We are now working on setting up separate dialysis machines for HIV positive patients,” he said.
Despite legal provisions for HIV patients, Pawan’s case exposes glaring gaps in the health infrastructure. Rajiv Kumar, Director of the State AIDS Control Society, said the society is responsible for HIV patients, but has yet to respond to requests for intervention.
As the patient shuttles between hospitals with no clear solution in sight, his family continues to suffer in silence.
