Chaos at hospital after woman diagnosed with HIV

TARAKESHWAR: Confusion ruled Tarakeswar Rural Hospital after a woman who had come for a tubectomy surgery was diagnosed with HIV positive during the blood test at the integrated counselling testing centre of the camp on December 30. Tubectomy is surgical procedure for permanent contraception to prevent future pregnancies in women.
The diagnosis left the counsellor Piu Mukherjee so startled that she immediately called up the block medical officer (health) Dr Saswata Barenya, who rushed to the hospital after informing the health department.The department also reacted strongly with socio-medical significance of such cases.
Additional chief medical officer (health) of Hooghly Dr Jagannath Mondal also rushed to the hospital. He also picked up district medical officer (Dhaniakhali) Dr Tanmoy Ghosh on his way to the hospital.
The woman was separated from the group that queued up for tubectomy and was taken to the operating theatre. The surgery was done using the mini-lab process. The woman was taken to the operation theatre where Dr Mondal and Dr Ghosh carried out the surgery on her following the mini-lab process.
The doctors used disposable instruments and wore anti-flash goggles, surgical gowns, special masks etc and special surgical aprons to prevent contamination. Doctors remained anxious till the surgery was over.
It took 10 minutes to complete the surgery succefully. After the operation, the woman was sent to her home in Tarakeswar block.
The block medical officer Saswata Barenya said that the husband of the woman was the carrier of the virus. He had infected the woman. The incident left a wide area in Tarakeswar nervous.
According to Dr Barenya, in Tarakeswar, Chanditala, Khanakul (I&II), Goghat and Pandua there has been a rapid growth in the number of HIV positive patients in the surrounding areas. TNNIt is high time such growth rate is reversed.
Tarakeswar Block Development officer have decided to carry out a thorough investigation into this sudden spurt of HIV infected patients in the area.