UAE | Health
Clinic finds patient has Aids after treatment
The patient, a UAE national, had scaling done and a tooth extracted at the clinic before being referred to a government hospital where a doctor accidentally discovered that he had Aids.
- By Shireena Al Nowais, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:00 November 13, 2005
A dental clinic in Sharjah hit the panic button after doctors discovered that one of their patients has Aids.
Speaking to Gulf News, a dentist, on condition of anonymity, said: "I have been treating this patient for years and he never told me that he has Aids."
The patient, a UAE national, had scaling done and a tooth extracted at the clinic before being referred to a government hospital where a doctor accidentally discovered that he had Aids.
"We were alerted by the doctor at the government hospital and as a precautionary measure advised us to undergo medical check-ups." The doctors at the dental clinic are worried about others who were treated after the Aids patient.
"Aids patients entail certain precautions. They are usually the last ones treated and we don't use the equipment used on them on other patients. We must leave at least a 24-hour gap before using the equipment on another patient."
The doctor added: "We have another patient who also has Aids but we were alerted before hand. But this specific patient never told us although we have been treating him for years. We were suspicious since medications did not work on him."
Dr Jamil Tourky, head of preventive medicine at the Sharjah Medical District, said patients are not obliged to reveal that they have Aids. "But it is the conscientious thing to do," he said.
He said HIV patients are considered to be high risk and there are certain mandatory precautions taken while treating them.
Rarely 'do people admit they have the virus'
Dr Jamil Tourky, head of preventive medicine at the Sharjah Medical District, said very rarely do people admit that they have Aids because expatriates are afraid of being deported and nationals are afraid that they will lose their jobs.
He said people with Aids must be fully integrated into society.
"It is discrimination when you fire them from their jobs and when you isolate them," he said. "Aids is not a stigma and we should not discriminate against people who have the disease. There is a misunderstanding that the disease can be transmitted by shaking hands or through the air," he said.
He said all dental clinics should follow standard precautions. "The clinic should deal with every patient as if they have Aids or hepatitis. They should follow the same precautions with every patient whether they have Aids or not."
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