Bhubaneswar/Sambalpur: Odisha Health Minister N K Das has said that a probe has been ordered into the alleged violation of protocol in the surgery of an HIV positive infected patient by the dental wing of VIMSAR in Burla.

The Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR), Burla has set up a committee to be headed by the HoD of the Tuberculosis and Chest department, to probe into the alleged violation of protocol in the surgery of an HIV positive infected patient by the dental wing of the hospital.

“Action will be taken against the person if there is any violation in the protocol for the HIV patients,” the minister said on Wednesday.

Superintendent of VIMSAR, Lalmohan Nayak on Wednesday said life of no other patient was put to any risk in the process, though the committee will find out if there were any lapses by the operating surgeon. “The Head of the Department (HOD) of Tuberculosis and Chest, Prabhati Dutta will head the probe team and would submit the report to the government,” said Nayak.

Nayak also said that the Department of Dentistry which was closed for fumigation after the alleged violation of protocol in surgery of an HIV positive patient was reopened on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the assistant professor of Department Dentistry, VIMSAR, PK Swain, who performed the surgery on the HIV positive patient on October 28, said that he did the surgery on “humanitarian ground” and did not put “any life at risk” in the process.

Swain said the patient was admitted in the surgery ward of the hospital on October 13 and he had finalised October 28 for his Inter Maxillary Fixation (IMF). The patient came for the surgery to the Department of Dentistry on October 28.

“I checked all his report but did not find the HIV screening report. Subsequently, I asked him for HIV screening. He also underwent screening and brought the report, from which I could know that he was HIV positive. I immediately informed the authority about the patient. They told me to send the patient after prescribing some medicines,” Swain said.

“But my conscience prevented me from sending back the patient without surgery. Had I sent back the patient without surgery, the problem of the patient would have aggravated.

Hence, I performed the surgery on him”, he said. Swain claimed that he followed all the precaution while performing the surgery on the HIV positive patient. Swain denied the allegation that he used the same instruments, which were used for the surgery of the HIV positive patient, for surgical procedures of other patients.

He said dental extraction of two other patients was conducted after the operation on the HIV positive patient was performed.

“These two operations were conducted at separate chairs and separate cabins. There is no risk for the patients, who were operated after the HIV positive patient,” he said.

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Islamabad: In the first six months of 2019, from January to date, the Centre for Treatment of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences has received as many as 95 new patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) positive and AIDS.

Data collected by ‘The News’ on Tuesday has revealed that a total of 66 male patients, 22 female patients and five children with HIV Positive reported at PIMS AIDS Centre in last six months while two new transgender patients with AIDS have also been reported so far in 2019.

Registration of 95 new patients have taken the total number of registered patients at PIMS AIDS Centre to 3,232 of which 2,684 patients are male, 456 female, 69 children and 20 transgender. The PIMS AIDS Centre was established in 2005 by National Aids Control Programme.

It is worth mentioning here that AIDS is considered as the most advanced stage of HIV infection and generally, it may take 10-15 years for an HIV-infected person to develop AIDS, the end-stage of HIV infection. In case a patient is not having treatment after developing AIDS, he or she may die within six months though antiretroviral therapy (ART) can slow down the progress and people with HIV may enjoy healthy and productive lives for years with ART. There is no vaccine or specific treatment for AIDS however.

The total number of patients who are on ART at PIMS AIDS department is 1,913 including 1,503 male patients, 348 female patients, 58 children and 12 transgender patients. Of these, as many as 438 patients are intravenous drugs users (IDUs).

As many as 323 HIV positive patients are suffering from hepatitis B while 158 patients are suffering from hepatitis C, said Deputy Director at PIMS Dr. Waseem Khawaja while talking to ‘The News’.

He added that Dr. Naila is in charge of AIDS centre at PIMS who along with dedicated staff deputed at the centre has made the unit an ideal treatment facility for HIV positive patients. The PIMS Executive Director Dr. Amjad has made special arrangements to cater to the needs of HIV/AIDS patients reaching hospital, he said.

The standard of services at the AIDS centre can be gauged from the fact that not a single baby has so far been borne with HIV positive to any female patient at the centre, he said. The female HIV patients having pregnancy are being given excellent treatment before child birth and surgeries so far have been done successfully to avoid infection in new born babies, he said.

It is important that HIV can be transmitted from an HIV positive mother to her child during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding and mother-to-child transmission accounts for over 90 per cent of new HIV infections among children.

Dr. Khawaja said the PIMS AIDS Centre has so far provided management facilities to as many as 91 pregnancy cases through PPTCT, a program for prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV. Nine thalassemia patients are also registered with the centre who are HIV positive, he said.

He added the centre has received a total of 1031 IDUs having HIV positive though 438 of them are on ART while of a total of 69 child patients so far reported at the centre, 58 are receiving ART.

All diagnostic tests for HIV/AIDS patients are free including screening and PCR and also the centre provides free of cost treatment to all patients. The pregnant women having HIV/AIDS are given free of cost treatment not only for the infection but also for deliveries, said Dr. Khawaja.

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