Oksana (name changed) sought a consultation with a vascular surgeon. After an examination, the doctor referred her for an ultrasound of her lower extremities, which was to be done at the same hospital. She waited in line outside the ultrasound room. After a while, a nurse came out, looked at the referral, and said that she had to wait, the ultrasound would be the last one to be done. When she asked why, she was told: “Don’t you know your diagnosis?”
After that, Oksana carefully re-read the referral and saw that it had a code B-20. Without having an ultrasound, she returned to the doctor to ask why he had indicated an HIV diagnosis. The doctor began to say in a humiliating and insulting manner that they (medical workers) should know who they are working with, and that he was not obliged to risk his life. The doctor was talking with the door of the office open, and people were sitting in the corridor outside the office.
The REActor provided a consultation, during which the rights of people living with HIV were explained. She was also offered assistance in writing a complaint against the doctor’s actions, but Oksana refused to write a complaint. Then, at the client’s request, she was accompanied to the Regional Hospital, where she received a consultation with the right specialist, underwent the necessary examinations, and is now undergoing outpatient treatment prescribed by the doctor.
Also read:
Protecting the rights of HIV-positive couple in Uzbekistan: comprehensive assistance and solutions
Victory in the protection of privacy: the history of dormitory housing in Uzbekistan