There was an uproar on social media as beds of HIV patients were covered in plastic. Some call it SOP for PLHIV, but not a few consider it discrimination.
In relation to this, the former WHO director of communicable diseases in Southeast Asia, prof. Tjandra Yoga Aditama, said there were no specific standards for HIV prevention in hospitals, meaning it was equated to infection control in general.
“There are no specific standards for HIV patients, and they even have to use plastic like this information. Also, the problem of stigma in HIV must be avoided, because it will be very harmful for the prevention program,” said Prof. Tjandra in discussion with detikcom, Friday (16/12/2022).
The former director general of disease control at the Ministry of Health also said that the management of HIV patients was done carefully to avoid stigma.
He added that basically the standard precautions put in place by health facilities aim to protect patients, health workers, visitors receiving health services. Healthcare professionals should also apply standard precautions, including safe injection practices.
“If a health care worker has an occupational accident that puts them at risk of HIV infection, they will be given post-exposure prophylaxis (preventive therapy) for 1 month,” he concluded.
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