| Business |
Forgetting the victims
THERE is a strong emphasis on the
prevention of HIV/ AIDS infection in the community.
That is of course admirable – provided it is not at the expense
of those who already have the virus.
Sadly, it still appears that victims of the disease come second
in the priorities of the authorities.
Even the deputy director of the National AIDS Council, who has
been among the most reliable and approachable of specialist
advisers, now refers to the 97% of the population that is not
infected and states that “our aim is to protect the 97%”.
While we understand the need to try and stop the infection
curve, we are distressed
by the obvious lack of facilities for HIV/AIDS patients.
We urge readers to take a long hard look at the photograph in
The National yesterday; it shows part of a ward at Port Moresby
General Hospital.
The text tells us that on average 60 beds are presently occupied
by HIV/AIDS sufferers.
The NAC forecasts that hospitals in the country will be
struggling to look after these patients over the next decade.
That situation has developed through the on-going refusal of
authorities to recognise the facts, even when they have been
obvious to the rest of the community.
This newspaper has been appealing over many years for dedicated
wards to be established in PNG hospitals for HIV/AIDS sufferers.
We have fought tooth and nail for on-going arrangements to be
made for the distribution of anti-retroviral drugs to hospitals
in this country; available since 1996, they are only now
reaching hospitals outside of Port Moresby and Lae.
We don’t doubt the importance and relevance of awareness
programmes, nor the sincerity of those involved.
But the slow death of a human being unable to access
life-supporting drugs or the
apathy and even antagonism displayed by some medical staff
towards HIV/AIDS sufferers seem to us to be matters that need to
be immediately addressed.
We are alarmed at what seems to be a trend towards minimising
the impact of this disease on our country.
There is an emerging tendency to downplay HIV/AIDS and even to
imply that there is a level of exaggeration among those who are
engaged in the fight to limit its effects on our people.
That must not happen.
If there has been a levelling-off in the infection figures, we
will celebrate more than most.
But let’s see those figures first and above all show us that
they are accurate, and not just another in the endless line of
guesstimates that have been paraded past the public for more
than a decade.
There is nothing alarmist in pointing out that the accuracy of
present infection figures, records of those who have died with
AIDS, even convincing breakdowns of the gender and provincial
origins of victims are at best approximations.
Nor do we underestimate the tremendous difficulties of putting
together such statistics.
That’s why we’ve been urging that PNG prepare for a potential
influx of HIV/AIDS patients.
That’s why we have begged health authorities to either mark
existing wards for HIV/ AIDS patients, if space is available, or
petition provincial and national authorities to get such wards
built and equipped.
Once again we express our relief at the steady flow of
anti-retroviral drugs to provincial hospitals. That is an
admirable achievement and one that will eventually extend the
lives of thousands of infected people.
At the same time we note that it has come far too late for
hundreds, perhaps thousands of our people.
They have died often horrifying deaths without the benefit of
drugs and in some cases reviled or ignored by members of the
medical community.
The National in no way underestimates the achievements of those
who are committed to fighting HIV/AIDS infection through
awareness campaigns.
We welcome the very real volunteer efforts of foreigners and
increasingly and importantly, of our own people.
Those efforts are indications that PNG is beginning to pull
together as a community to fight this disease.
That sense of unity against a common enemy could benefit the
wider PNG society in hundreds of constructive ways, and is a
splendid effort.
But please – don’t forget those who live with this disease every
day of their lives.
 
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