Maria was hospitalized in a serious condition with a diagnosis of COVID-19. In order to prescribe the correct treatment, the girl informed the doctor about her HIV status. However, after hearing about this, the doctor refused to prescribe treatment. During the morning round, the patient asked why she was being treated so indifferently, to which the doctor replied that there was no place for HIV-positive people in this hospital. Which, in turn, revealed her status to other patients in the ward and department.
After this conversation, the roommates began to insult and psychologically humiliate the woman and even threatened to kill her.
Considering her serious condition, Maria decided to seek help from her social worker, who notified the REAct documentator about this case. The documentator contacted the woman by phone, offered her support, and provided an initial psychological consultation.
An official letter was sent to the head doctor of the medical institution where the woman was staying, describing the situation in which the client found herself due to public disclosure of her status, which led to stigma and discrimination from other patients. The documentator explained to the doctor that his actions were discriminatory and it was recommended to adhere to the code of medical ethics in order not to have trouble in the future due to failure to fulfill his official duties.
The situation was resolved by transferring the client to another ward, where she received the necessary treatment in full.