Plea to DGAR on ill-treatment

A team representing Network of Naga People Living with HIV and AIDS (NNPLHA), Nagaland Lawyers Network for HIV and AIDS (NLNHA), lawyers collective, Kripa foundation and Kekhrie foundation highlighting the discrimination and abandonment meted out to terminally ill jawan on ground of his HIV positive status and his family by 42 Assam Rifles today urged the Director General Assam Rifles (DGAR) to take up the case “very seriously.”
The ailing jawan passed away November 3 last at around 10:55 p.m.
The representatives, in a letter to DGAR, have expressed “shock” over how a 24-year-old jawan from 42 Assam Rifle was left fighting for his life at Naga Hospital Authority Kohima and his family members without any resources to even admit him in ICU.
Stating that the incident came as “shocking” to them, the letter said they were under the impression that uniformed organizations were taking good care of People Living with HIV and AIDS (PLHIV).
“Going through his medical reports we found that he has been treated in ARTB Hospital in Shillong for immune surveillance with tubercular lymphadenitis and meningitis.
He was later referred to Guwahati Medical College Hospital. On October 7, his family members were informed that his health condition was deteriorating,” said the letter, adding that this “unfortunate case” has raised many questions which violated the basic human rights of an individual.
Sequentially relating the whole episode, the representatives said the jawan was diagnosed with tuberculosis December 2008, when he went home on leave (he had to extend his leave to regain his health to travel and the authority was duly informed) and he started DOTS treatment for tuberculosis but when he returned to his base, he was awarded rigorous imprisonment for 13 days in quarter guard for over staying his leave without honouring the medical certificate and the other relevant papers.
It also questioned why was the patient referred to Guwahati medical college hospital (GMCH) from Shillong hospital with only an attendant despite his deteriorating condition.
Rebutting the clarification issued by IGAR (N) PRO in local media that the patient was admitted in ‘Department of Medicine, HIV Ward’ and ‘not lying on the corridor’, the letter said in GMCH, he was admitted in bed No. ‘extra’ with ‘examination No. 16’.
“We have verified that there is no such ‘HIV ward’ in GMCH and a hospital will not have a ‘extra’ bed unless it was really an extra bed,” the representatives stated.
Further querying on why PRO made a statement without verifying the truth, the letter asked if AR was too proud to accept failure on their part.
“To make the matter worse, the mighty PRO breached Confidentiality by disclosing his name and his HIV status to the Media without consent,” it said.
They also stated that expressing ignorance of whereabouts of jawan by PRO justify not taking care of a soldier “who joined the force prepared to give his life if the need arise.”
Posing several inadequacies on the part of AR authority, the representatives urged DGAR to take this case very seriously and assure that other jawans do not face such discrimination and neglect specially those living with HIV and AIDS.
The signatories included NNPLHA president Chungtie Shiu; K Lotan of NLNHA; Aching of NNPLHA; Abou Mere of Kripa foundation; Naomi Semy of NNPLHA; V Ashu Theyo, Lydia Yepthomi and Moajungla of lawyers collective; Bazo Kire of Kekhrie foundation and Nukshinaro.