Patient hid his health status to obtain life-saving surgery

HEALTH authorities in the northern city of Tianjin are investigating the case of a lung cancer patient who was refused treatment at his local hospital because he was HIV positive. He is said to have hidden his condition to have surgery at another hospital.

Xiao Feng, 25, said he was denied lung cancer surgery at the Tianjin Cancer Hospital after his HIV status was detected.

Xiao eventually got the surgery in another Tianjin hospital on November 12 after concealing his condition. The surgery was successful and he is recovering at home.

He said his family informed medical staff about his infection soon after the surgery was finished.

The Tianjin Health Bureau yesterday confirmed that the cancer hospital had refused to treat the patient and the bureau was determining which hospital officials were responsible.

The bureau also checked the second hospital's medical staff and in-hospital infection control. It said yesterday that the medical staff's personal protection, surgery disinfection, patient nursing and processing of medical waste were all in line with regulations. No one had been infected as a result of the surgery.

The bureau said hospitals and medical staff must offer proper treatment to people with HIV/AIDS, while HIV carriers and AIDS patients should inform doctors about their infection and shouldn't keep the infection from medical staff to prevent spreading HIV/AIDS.

Vice Premier Li Keqiang has instructed the Ministry of Health to guarantee the right to medical treatment of people living with HIV, according to a notice posted on the ministry's website on Wednesday night.

Li also instructed the ministry by phone that people with HIV should not be discriminated against, stressing that work should be done to guarantee the safety of doctors and nurses treating HIV-positive people, according to the notice.

Wu Hong, vice director of the Shanghai Health Bureau's hospital management department, said the city has regulations about receiving HIV-positive patients.

"Each patient in Shanghai hospitals will undergo tests on hepatitis B and HIV before surgery," Wu said yesterday. "If the patient is detected with HIV, he or she will be sent to a hospital designated for infectious diseases. If the designated hospital can't offer the treatment the patient needs, relevant experts from other hospitals will go to the infectious disease hospital to carry out the treatment.

"Professional hospitals have a stronger ability on infectious disease prevention and control. They can offer better protection to patients and medical staff. No HIV-positive patients will be denied treatment in the city."

He added: "HIV-positive patients should inform medical staff about their infection to protect medical staff and ensure proper medical practice."

Email Story    Printable View    Blog Story    Copy Headline/URL