AIDS scare
GOVERNMENT and municipal hospitals in Bombay are running a high risk for doctors as no testing for HIV is done on patients. Doctors are afraid of conducting such tests because of the fear of contracting the disease themselves. The HIV test is not routinely conducted on all patients in the hospitals and the doctors are not sure whether the patients they are treating are infected. Very often, the safety norms are violated too owing to shortage of protective gear. The resident doctors collecting blood samples are also imperiled. Sulahash Maharashtra, feels it is useless to It HIV tests on a routine basis. The Ism Sal precautions laid down by W, Health Organization and the Natk AIDS Control Organisation are adequ he argues. The Bombay Munic Corporation's chief executive he, officer, Alka Karande, is also of same opinion. But the doctors various hospitals feel that though risk element is only 0.4 per cent, entirely avoidable.