14 Oct 2013

Some Francistown residents have expressed mixed feelings with regards to the Public Health Act, which gives doctors permission to test any patient for HIV with or without consent.

The act further empowered doctors to disclose their patient`s status to family members if the patient was not willing to do so. In an interview, a 38-years-old shoe cobbler, Mr Basimane Scotch said he hoped it would help family members know the status of their relatives.

“People get sick and do not reveal to their parents and those taking care of them what is afflicting them, so I think this act will do us good,” he said. Now family members would be able to take care of their patients properly and take appropriate precautions, knowing what their ailment was, he said.

Mr Scotch said patients who refused to go to hospital could be identified in time and be attended to before their health deteriorated further. “It is a good move as it will also help partners know their status and it will help reduce the rate of infection or the spread of sexually transmitted illnesses,” he said.

Another resident,  Ms Tsaone Kebadire, who is a first year student at Botho University, said the act was good and it would help those who wanted to know their status but were afraid to test. She said some people did not know their status not because they feared the result, but simply dreaded the idea of being of standing before a doctor and being tested.

She noted that the act would also benefit the country as it would help government know how many people lived with HIV/AIDS and allocate resources accordingly. More importantly the act would also help the country to attain its Vision 2016 motto of zero new infections.

However, she reasoned that patients’ status should not be revealed without their consent. Rather they should be encouraged to share their status with those close to them.  

But given the fact some people may simply and failure to do so would mean the doctor can go ahead and tell the family without the patient`s consent if the time lapses.

Ms Kebadire argued the patient`s status should not be indiscriminately made, but an observation should first be made to see who is closest to the patient.

She explained that in some cases, a patient may not even be close to any of his or her relatives, so his or her status without his or her consent might bring more harm to the patient. That may only help create stigma as gossipy family

Ms Kebadire further notes that some of the consequences of doing that might worsen the state of the patient as untrustworthy family members might spread the news around, which may bring about discrimination.

She said to avoid such from happening, a very close friend to the patient, who the patient regularly confides in should be the one told. “It is a sensitive issue that has to be handled with care. Before revealing the status of a patient without their consent, let us first consider their rights,” she said.

A graphic designer at Dark Angels Communications, Ms Dimpho Onee said the rights of the patient should not be violated. “It should be upon an individual on when to go for an HIV and AIDS test and who to reveal one`s status to,” she said

She noted that if privacy of patients was breached, it would  lower their  self esteem and patients would not feel appreciated and welcome in society.

However, she said the Act would be of greater  benefit to the patient as it would his or her  family to know how to best  take care of  him or her.

Ms Onee said the act would also help partners know and accept each other and live with free consciences as there would be no secrets around their status. This would help build trust and strong relationships. Ends