What happens when a health worker gets infected?

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Dear Forum members,

What happens when a health worker gets infected?

She is a young lady of 36 years working as nurse in a private nursing home,

suffering from loss of body weight. Five months back she had herpes zoster.

Around two years back, while injecting medicine in a patinet suffering from

meningitis, she had got a finger prick. At that time, none knew the patient had

HIV. CSF report said, the infecting agent was cryptococcus fungi. Doctor sent

blood for HIV testing, result turned out to be positive.

The lady was immediately tested for HIV by , report was negative. She was

advised for a repeat test after six weeks. The test was done but the government

facility doing it could not locate the report. They asked her to come after a

few days. The nurse did not take it seriously, presumed she is fine, did not go

again to collect the report.

Now five months back, when she had herpes, the nursing home doctor got

suspicious. Test was repeated which confirmed the presence of virus in her body.

Since, then her life is shattered. She is mentally disturbed, running from

pillar to post, to know and imagine what will happen to her next. She came to

me, a few days back. I tried to counsel her, explained to her the future course

of management, the preventive therapy, the avilability of HAART, the costs

involved. The lady could not take any decision, she said, a cost of even

Rs.3000/- per month on an average is too much for me. She gets Rs.3000/- per

month from the nursing home, and the job she may lose now. Her sister had come

along with her. Both of them are unmarried, stay with their parents, father is

retired, no other source of income.

I had very few words to console her. I explained to her the positive way of life

and tried to give her some hope drawing examples from the pre-ART era, mostly

case histories of my Manipuri patients. At the end, I mentioned you do not have

to pay me any consultation fee, you may talk/consult me, whenever you like.

What happens to her now ? Who is going to provide her the available therpay ?

How is she going to survive ? How many health workers would feel safe and

comfortable in handling patients, after knowing this story ? This is a case from

private sector. What would have happened, if the nurse was working with a

government setup ? I suggest, we start thinking into these practical details. No

insurance company provides cover for HIV.

I would be glad to know of any agency or individual who would like to sponsor

drugs for this lady and may be give her a suitable job. She is apt in taking

care of patients in the intensive care unit.

Dr.Ashok Kumar Agarwal, MD

PCS Clinic, P-231, Block B, Lake Town

Kokata - 700089

Tel: 91-33-5211667

Email: drakagarwal@...

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