$10,000 for negative HIV/AIDS test result

Oct 29, 2008 News

…Health Ministry to investigate allegations

Health Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy has promised to investigate a report that an individual who is attached to the clinic at the West Demerara Regional Hospital is accepting bribes in order to issue a ‘HIV negative’ result to a person who tests positive for the virus.

Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy

A reliable source at the clinic, which is located in Best Village on the West Coast of Demerara, has informed this newspaper that the young woman is tasked with the responsibility of testing people for HIV/AIDS.
She explained that if the person is tested positive for the virus, then the young woman would actually sell a ‘negative’ result to the person tested positive for the virus at a cost of $10,000.
The source also noted that this incident is occurring in light of the campaign by the Health Ministry that people should be tested so that they could know their status.
Kaieteur News was told that one of the supervisors at the clinic is trying to keep the incident on the down-low, despite receiving advice on the danger this action poses to the rest of the society.
This newspaper was further informed that the clinic received reports of this act from as early as April of this year. When contacted on the matter yesterday, the minister said that he was not aware of the incident, and added that now that he has been informed, he would investigate the matter further, in order to get to the bottom of the situation. Minister Ramsammy questioned why persons would want to pay for negative results, since these cannot be used at the United States Embassy.
He explained that, if a person applies for a visa at the US embassy, that person would still have to undergo an HIV test at a laboratory approved by the embassy.
He noted that such is also the case at any life insurance company. Dr. Ramsammy also pointed out that persons may want the negative results to show their husbands, wives, girlfriends or boyfriends that they are HIV-free.
However, Kaieteur News was told that persons would rather pay for a ‘clean’ HIV test, so as to avoid the stigma and discrimination attached to the virus.