Hotels and Clinics in Paphos Turn Away HIV Holidaymaker

Hotels and Clinics in Paphos Turn Away HIV HolidaymakerA British holidaymaker was reportedly made to leave a hotel in Paphos in south Cyprus and his bedclothes burned because the hotel had been told by a doctor of a private clinic he had attended that he had informed them he is HIV positive.

The middle-aged man had been taken to the clinic after a fall and had told the clinic’s staff he was HIV positive as his injury was tended to. But when he returned to his hotel, he was allegedly told he could no longer stay there.

‘He was in fear, in shock, and he was also feeling dizzy,’ Stella Michaelidou, head of the HIV/AIDS Support Centre, told the Daily Mail.

‘A doctor from the clinic called the hotel where the injured man was staying and informed them of his condition. This is a breach of medical confidentiality. It is strictly forbidden.’

‘The clinic informed the hotel to burn the sheets and the bedspread and to disinfect the room.’

‘It’s like in the 80s before we knew what HIV was,’ she added.

‘You may [expect to] find this ignorance in an ordinary person, but in a doctor?’

To make things even worse, word of his HIV spread and he was reportedly turned away from several other hotels and even refused treatment at other private clinics. He went several days without medication and has since returned to the UK.

Both the health ministry and medical association have launched investigations into the incident.

‘Unfortunately, the elements of the case reveal the deeply rooted, widespread and extremely persistent prejudices surrounding the issue of HIV/AIDS and are based on ignorance and lack of information, even by health professionals.’

‘Observing medical confidentiality and providing care without discrimination is a fundamental duty of every health professional and administrative staff members at healthcare providers, both public and private. Moreover, respect for human rights of HIV carriers is a basic obligation of the state as a whole.’

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5 comments to Hotels and Clinics in Paphos Turn Away HIV Holidaymaker

  • Ian Edwards

    Hard to believe in this day and age.

    In my opinion, the first clinic, and the responsible doctor, should be named publicly, as should any other establishment, such as the reported hotels and clinics who refused this man service.

    Disgraceful.

  • Cyprus Sue

    It is beyond ignorance, it is disgusting that a so called member of the caring profession can act in this way.
    The Doctor concerned should immediately lose his right to practice for demonstrating such an uncaring attitude and breach of patient confidentiality, not to mention his lack of knowledge about a disease that even most laymen know can’t be passed on by bed sheets. How could such an ignoramus have ever qualified?

    Name and shame the doctor, the hospital or clinic he works in and the hotels that refused him a booking. The finacial implications are more likely to be effective. Sometimes educating people is not enough. Its attitude and behaviour that needs challenging.

  • Miltiades

    I share your sentiments unreservedly. Its a disgrace to Paphos, my birthplace, a thoroughly contemptible act. The Dr involved should be exposed, the hotel acted on his medical advice no doubt.

  • Cyprus Sue

    It gets worse! The following statement defending the Doctors actions has just been made:

    “Understandably, as they were unaware of the potential dangers, at this stage, the domestic staff were cleaning the hazardous areas containing the blood soiled dressings without taking any precautionary measures,”

    Shameful. Effective policy would demand that when handling ANY body fluids, FROM PATIENTS INFECTED OR NOT, full protective clothing must be worn and strict infection control guidelines are implemented. Not all patients admit that they are HIV positive or that they have Hep B or C. They certainly will be reluctant to now. Added to this after contamination with the virus, it takes 3 months before you can get a positive reading and diagnosis, even though the patient is carrying the virus and can transmit it to others.So some might not know they are infected. Hence infection control policy states that you take protection when handling ALL body fluids and not just for diagnosed patients. There should not be a different approach when caring for known HIV patients, the procedure is the same, you act as if all patients are possible carriers, as not to do so, puts health care workers and others at risk. I would be very concerned about receiving hospital care from this clinic.

  • Polly Marples

    Backward….or what?

    This is the European City of Culture in 2017…maybe ready for it in 2117, not now.