HIV+? Don't worry, some UAE clinics won't tell authorities

[Avnish Jolly]

HIV+? Don't worry, some UAE clinics won't tell authorities
http://www.emirates247.com/lifestyle/health/hiv-don-t-worry-some-uae-clinics-won-t-tell-authorities-2012-02-06-1.441409

Many clinics suspect of not informing health authority about positive
cases

By Bindu Suresh Rai
Published Monday, February 06, 2012
A friendly voice over the phone informed this reporter that HIV
testing was a very normal procedure in Dubai, with a simple blood test
was all it took to determine your fate.

The questions were being posed to a staff member of one of the leading
medical clinics in Dubai, which, among other lab work, specialises in
STD testing.

However, as soon as this reporter quizzed about the standard procedure
adopted if a person tested positive for HIV, the call was immediately
transferred to another member of staff, who in a hushed tone, informed
us that results would be strictly between doctor and patient for an
extra fee. When probed further, the helpful staff member assured us
that no information would be leaked out to any ‘official authority’
considering the testing was done on the premises itself and
confidentiality would be adopted.

A few phone calls later, this reporter had been dished out a similar
response at some of the city’s top medical clinics, with a secondary
option of paying a higher fee to have the blood sample sent to the
United Kingdom for testing.

In the second option, the results would be sealed and couriered to the
clinic in Dubai, with a weeklong lag time as opposed to the two-day
wait if tested locally, and handed over to the patient without being
opened by the medical facility.

In a country where UAE is very specific on reporting on patients
suffering from HIV or Aids, are clinics openly flagging the federal
law?

When approached, a Ministry of Health spokesperson told 'Emirates24|
7': “The Federal Law No 27 of 1981 concerning the prevention of
communicable diseases where article three states on notifying the
health administration/authority on the discovery of any of the
notifiable diseases. This includes all population, both citizens and
non-citizens. Once a suspected case is notified due to positive
screening test, a confirmatory investigations is done and then each
case will be managed accordingly.”

Speaking to a local doctor on the condition of anonymity, he said: “If
clinics indeed are performing HIV tests on the sly and not informing
authorities, as per the law, then such a act is despicable to say the
least.

“Surely, they are palming extra money to keep mum about the results,
if they indeed are positive.”

According to reports, expats who are diagnosed as HIV positive are
deported from the UAE, while steps are being taken by the authorities
to integrate citizens who test positive into the community.

Social worker, Ansitha Mayur said: “The growing concern is creating
HIV awareness amongst the citizens. Many are unaware of it and its
ramifications, while others are too concerned of the social stigma
attached to it and are willing to pay the extra amount to ensure
doctors stay mum about their results.”

According to statistics provided by the Ministry of Health, an
accumulative total of 660 HIV cases among citizens had been
reportedsince the beginning of HIV registering in the country in the
1980s till the end of 2010.

In 2010, there were 25 new HIV cases reported to the MOH in which 21
were males. z