Woman seeks HIV 'misdiagnosis' help

Woman seeks HIV 'misdiagnosis' help

The Public Health Ministry is checking the medical history of a young woman who may have been incorrectly diagnosed with HIV/Aids when she was eight years old in Roi Et.

Sophon Mekthon, the public health permanent secretary, said the ministry was reviewing the medical records of Suthida (surname withheld) who complained to him claiming she had been misdiagnosed with HIV/Aids by a state-run hospital in the northeastern province.

She said doctors at the hospital confirmed she had Aids when she was eight years old. For 20 years, she has been taking antiretroviral drugs only to be told by the Thai Red Cross after undergoing her latest blood test yesterday that she was not in fact infected with Aids.

Accompanied by activist lawyer Songkan Atchariyasap in submitting the complaint to Dr Sophon, Ms Suthida is due for another blood test at the Thai Red Cross tomorrow to make sure she is Aids-free.

Dr Sophon said the ministry will examine both the woman's diagnosis records and ensuing treatments to see if medical procedures have been performed correctly and were up to standard.

Ms Suthida said her aunt took her to a local hospital for an Aids test when she was eight after her father died of the disease. The hospital said she was HIV/Aids positive although the doctor did not explain how her blood test had been carried out.

Since then she has been prescribed antiretroviral drugs every month even after she moved from Roi Et to Samut Prakan where a local hospital also continued giving her the medicine.

After she found a boyfriend and became pregnant, she continued taking the antiretroviral drugs on the advice of the doctor at the Samut Prakan hospital.

The doctor said she would not pass the disease to the baby if she continued to regularly take the medication.

After giving birth, Ms Suthida said she was surprised to find her child was HIV/Aids free.

The hospital later sent her for an HIV test at the Thai Red Cross and the results were negative.

Ms Suthida said that after the news about her situation was publicised, staff at the hospital in Roi Et contacted her aunt to offer any help they could.

Ms Suthida demanded Roi Et Hospital tell the truth about her diagnosis.

"I need to know for a fact whether it was a misdiagnosis or whether the antiretroviral drug cured me," she said.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (4)