Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Unneeded cure spreads a deadly killer - International Herald Tribune
For weeks now, Kanat Alseidov has been sitting only a few feet from the doctor who is on trial for prescribing a blood transfusion for his 2-year-old son, who had pneumonia.
Two months after receiving the transfusion, Alseidov's son, a ruddy, playful boy named Baurzhan who plays constantly with his twin sister, tested positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
...
Baurzhan's exposure to HIV was only the beginning of an epidemic that has engulfed Shymkent, an industrial, car-choked city along the Uzbekistan border. Since last summer, 93 children who were treated at a children's hospital in Shymkent have tested positive for HIV.
And as the trial has progressed, a possible reason why the doctor prescribed a blood transfusion to treat pneumonia has become increasingly clear: ... A profit of as much as $10 on every transfusion may not sound like much, but it is a considerable amount in a country where doctors' salaries begin at $175 a month.
...
Families of HIV-infected children are often forced to move to seek anonymity after being ostracized by friends and neighbors. More than half the fathers of HIV-positive children have left their families, according to members of the families attending the trial. ...
For weeks now, Kanat Alseidov has been sitting only a few feet from the doctor who is on trial for prescribing a blood transfusion for his 2-year-old son, who had pneumonia.
Two months after receiving the transfusion, Alseidov's son, a ruddy, playful boy named Baurzhan who plays constantly with his twin sister, tested positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
...
Baurzhan's exposure to HIV was only the beginning of an epidemic that has engulfed Shymkent, an industrial, car-choked city along the Uzbekistan border. Since last summer, 93 children who were treated at a children's hospital in Shymkent have tested positive for HIV.
And as the trial has progressed, a possible reason why the doctor prescribed a blood transfusion to treat pneumonia has become increasingly clear: ... A profit of as much as $10 on every transfusion may not sound like much, but it is a considerable amount in a country where doctors' salaries begin at $175 a month.
...
Families of HIV-infected children are often forced to move to seek anonymity after being ostracized by friends and neighbors. More than half the fathers of HIV-positive children have left their families, according to members of the families attending the trial. ...
Labels: AIDS
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