‘Prefer to live with parents’, Sattur woman informs HC

Madurai

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court was on Wednesday informed by the woman from Sattur who was tested HIV positive after a blood transfusion at a government hospital, that she preferred to live with her parents, along with her children. However, she had no objection to her husband visiting the family.

A Division Bench of Justices N. Kirubakaran and S.S. Sundar, who heard the case in-chambers, observed that though the woman’s husband had tried to persuade her that he would take care of her, the woman categorically declared that her husband would not take care of her.

Preferring to live with her parents, the woman told the court that she had no objection to her husband visiting the family. The woman, her husband, their elder daughter and the new born baby girl who tested negative for HIV, were present before the court for the hearing, in-chambers.

Earlier, the woman had told the court that she was being neglected by her husband and she was not being allowed to interact with her elder daughter. Concerned over the plight of the woman, the court observed that her husband needed proper counselling.

The court said that the woman was suffering for no fault of hers and it was the duty of the government to provide her a house, a suitable government job, monetary compensation and medical treatment throughout her life for the mental trauma she was undergoing.

The State was directed to respond in the case with regard to employment, compensation and a house for the woman. The case was adjourned for further hearing to March 29. The 23-year-old woman tested HIV positive after the blood of a donor was given to her at Sattur Government Hospital.

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters, Tamil Nadu AIDS Control Society project director K. Senthil Raj, said that the two-month-old infant of the 23-year-old HIV positive mother from Sattur tested negative for HIV, here on Wednesday.

The Project Director said that Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) tests conducted at the end of the sixth week showed negative results. “A team of 10 doctors are working round the clock to ensure that the baby and the mother are safe,” he said. He added that antiretroviral (ART) treatment will continue to be administered.

Government Rajaji Hospital Dean K. Vanitha said that both the mother and the baby are mentally and physically fit for discharge. “The baby is feeding on time and under supervision,” she said.