HIV infected woman laments facility inadequacy
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 21 2012:
A widow in her early 30s regretting lack of CD4 count facility at Tamenglong district hospital desired that such medical equipment be installed at medical centres to enable the patients have easy access to treatment.
Speaking to The Sangai Express Ajai Rongmei of Khunjao village in Tamenglong district said she got infected with HIV from her husband, who passed away some three years back due to suspected case of AIDS.
As per doctor's advise Ajai and her four children have to come every six month for CD4 count at RIMS Hospital.
While the journey from Tamenglong to Imphal is itself long and tiresome due to bad condition of roads in the district, the necessity to undertake CD4 count consequently means additional expenditure, she said while adding that for journey, lodging and fooding for the five-member family she has to spend no less than Rs 1000 .
While the amount may be insignificant for some, the fact that she comes from a poor family like most HIV/AIDS infected persons from Tamenglong district is taking a heavy toil on her parents with whom she stays at present after her in-laws objected to her return at her husband's place after his death.
Even though Ajai has been confirmed to be HIV positive, her main concern is to regularly check whether the four children have also been infected, she said and reiterated her desire that CD4 count facility be established at every district hospitals.
She also conveyed gratitude to authorities concerned for availing ART treatment facility at Tamenglong District Hospital without which she had to come to Imphal to collect her monthly ART medicine.