KOMPAS.com – The Twitter timeline is full of netizens who say they have seen discriminatory treatment in hospitals for people with diabetes human immunodeficiency virus (ODHIV).
By account this on Wednesday (12/14/2022), he had this experience accompanying HIV-positive people who were about to undergo surgery.
Where the hospital provides a bed or plastic covered bed for a friend.
“Odhiv discrimination still exists!! Accompanying a friend Odhiv who wanted to operate, I was surprised how come the bed was plasticized, I thought because after the pandemic, it turned out that the nurse explained that she was because of HIV. You want to be angry but with whom?! How come you don’t laminate your bathrooms at all?!” he wrote.
This upload is also busy and has received over 3,000 comments and another 3,600 quote tweets Friday (16/12/2022) afternoon.
Most netizens also said that the hospital’s actions were a standard operating procedure (SOP).
Some netizens advised the uploader to ask more questions about the plastic covered hospital beds.
However, there are also netizens who agree that the hospital’s action of covering the bed with plastic is included in the discrimination.
So, does the hospital’s actions when it comes to dealing with PLHIV include discrimination?
As a precaution
Internal medicine expert, Dr. Andi Khoemini Takdir Haruni revealed that the image in the viral tweet is a standard applied in hospitals.
According to him, hospital action is taken if there are patients who are known or suspected to be infected with some infectious diseases, such as HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
“This is what medical personnel usually do precaution closer. So you look for the DPI to be higher,” Andi said when contacted kompas.comFriday (16/12/2022).
He continued, medical staff will also pay more attention and improve sterilization for patients with a history of certain infectious infections.
Adding layers like plastic, he says, is helpful in reducing the chance of bodily fluids entering surrounding objects.
However, usually the medical staff will again provide coverings on the bed so that the patient is not hot.
“Usually there will be an extra layer. For example, blankets, which are not too warm and easy to clean,” Andi said.
Read also: There is still a lot of discrimination against HIV/AIDS patients
Excessive and unnecessary
On the other hand, Health Global Security researcher Dr. Dicky Budiman, said what the hospital did was cover the bed no HIV with plastic it is excessive.
“This method is overkill and unnecessary,” Dicky said kompas.comFriday (16/12/2022).
Dicky explained that HIV/AIDS is transmitted through holes in the body, including through infection or injury.
Even though it’s micro in size, if the hole has been exposed to an HIV patient’s bodily fluids, it still has the potential to become infected. However, he continued, HIV transmission is not that simple.
“If HIV patients are patients with viral load or a small amount of virus from taking ARVs regularly, treatmentYes, there is a small chance of getting infected,” Dicky said.
Not to mention the hospital or medical staff universal precaution or prevention which refers to avoiding contact with the patient’s bodily fluids.
Few steps universal precautionaccording to Dicky, that is to wear fireproof masks, gloves, and clothing, and avoid contact with used needles from patients.
By applying universal precautionhe said medical staff, patients and others involved would be equally protected.
“That will definitely reduce the transmission potential. And that doesn’t have to be the case, the beds are all covered up, that’s not the case,” he said.
Read also: 6 myths about HIV/AIDS, don’t believe them anymore
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