WINDHOEK – The Rundu State Hospital has discovered an alarming trend, whereby pregnant women manipulate their HIV status from positive to negative on their health passports, placing at risk the health of their infants.
The shocking revelation was made yesterday by the hospital’s spokesman, Peter Kawali, who indicated that the alarming situation is placing unborn babies at grave risk. “We have discovered that women alter their health passports in order to hide their HIV status, it is a really sad situation because the health ministry is trying by all means to stop mother to child infections,” he said. So far, two expectant mothers were caught changing their status on the health passports, revealed Kawali.
The reasons for this unscrupulous conduct has health authorities in the Kavango regions puzzled and there are serious concerns that it could lead to more babies being born with the virus. “If the mother fakes her results, the medical officials will not be able to give her the medication required to prevent her from transmitting the virus to the unborn baby,” said Kawali. He said nurses at the hospital will continue to monitor the situation closely. The first HIV case in Namibia was reported in 1986. Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services Petrina Haingura is also baffled by the revelation. “I really do not understand why there is so much stigma surrounding HIV, there are other diseases such as diabetes and cancer that kill even faster, yet people are mostly worried about HIV,” she lamented. The health ministry is currently spending millions of taxpayers money on the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission Programme at state health facilities across the country. “This issue of mothers changing their health status should stop, because it is denting government’s efforts to avoid any mother to child infections,” she said. Haingura urged HIV positive expectant women to end the practice forthwith and to report any health official at any state hospital who does not comply with the confidentiality policy in the ministry.
“The policy on confidentiality is very clear, doctors and nurses are not allowed to reveal the health status of their patients to anyone else. If you know of any doctor or nurse doing it then you must report them to the authorities,” she said. Haingura also urged couples to know the status of their partners. “If you change your status, how do you expect the doctors to help you and your unborn baby?” queried Haingura. She further said negative perceptions about the disease also lead to such actions. “We are good when it comes to judging others, forgetting that nobody is perfect. After 28 years with this disease in our society, it is high time that we start accepting those who tested positive in our society,” she said.
By John Muyamba and Mathias Haufiku