YOURSAY | Doctors must never judge those who seek treatment

YOURSAY | ’Remove the religious aspect, just treat the patient.’

MOH's move to give anti-HIV drug hits religious fault lines

Mazilamani: Had the government not enforced Covid-19 vaccines on its citizens, imagine the rise in cases and death counts. Even so, we have not come out of the pandemic entirely after almost three years.

A study must have already been taken by the Health Ministry for them to come up with the proposal to provide wider access to oral medicine to prevent contracting HIV from sex and injection drug use.

HIV is not about homosexuals. It could also be an issue with one of the married partners who may have crossed the line of moral faithfulness.

I believe it is already a practice within affluent families, in some countries, to hire private detectives to discreetly check on the lifestyle of a prospective bridegroom. Maybe it is already practised in our country.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is being proposed because religion has failed to help. Delay in accepting the Health Ministry’s intention to provide free drugs may be an expensive financial burden for the country in the future.

Religion must keep itself separated from health concerns.

Kilimanjaro: Remove the religious aspect and just treat the “patient”. Let me give a hypothetical example. The doctor is a Malay Muslim who belongs to the group that is against treating a homosexual with Aids.

A patient who is a non-Malay goes to him for treatment. Would the doctor apply his religious dictum on a non-Malay too?

Doctors are trained to treat patients. If some are clouded in their vision, just stay away and let those who are willing to treat carry on with their job.

These doctors won’t want to treat and won’t allow other doctors to treat too. Who do they think they are to impose their beliefs on others? Don’t play god.

Is that what they taught these people in medical school? Next time, before anyone wishes to pursue a medical degree, get them to sign that personal religious beliefs will not interfere with their medical duty.

At least can screen and weed out those who have such strong religious sentiments. I think this will be a fair way to go. Such people don’t have to become doctors.

I won’t be surprised if one day, these doctors may refuse to treat non-Malays. Am I supposed to call them doctors or by some other salutation befitting their religious belief?

Falcon: The abomination and mischief in everything in Malaysia is seen through a narrow, warped, super-destructive lens! No surprise here!

As one of those who contributed to the Human Organ Transplant Act decades ago which was also impacted, never seeing sunlight, I am only aware of these very toxic headwinds!

Why can’t one look at it as a medical issue needing sensitive caring intervention instead of pouring out vindictive religious interpretation? Whose narrow interest met here?

6th Generation Immigrant: This is another obvious example of what Perak ruler Sultan Nazrin Shah said about “those exploiting racial, religious differences” to further their cause.

This lot of medical personnel perhaps do not even subscribe to the Hippocratic oath they are all first avowed to - segregating themselves as physicians with religious authority.

Here, it looks as if religion and science are at opposite segments of society. And both religion and science require full commitment, they cannot be accepted half-heartedly. The government should just put their foot down and head for the science way!

Aren’t these lots the exact segment of society referred to by the sultan? In the meantime, society remains threatened - be they heterosexual, homosexual, young, old, born, unborn, pious or not - by HIV in Malaysia.

Dr Suresh Kumar: Be reminded you became doctors to save lives; that should be your ultimate goal and nothing else. Haven’t you so-called doctors heard of the adage ‘prevention is better than cure’? And there is no cure for Aids.

If I were the health minister, I would distribute condoms and make sex education compulsory in schools; that way, we would have less baby dumping and drug addicts with HIV who are also infecting their spouses.

Why this country is being continuously dragged down to be a banana state is beyond me, honestly. What is the difference between the literate and the illiterate, then?

CanSeeLight: Responsibility is key. Accountability is essential to this topic. If people are responsible and accountable for their actions - then this matter will not arise.

The drug PrEP is to prevent the spread of HIV for all human beings - it is surely the right thing to do and to provide especially for those who need the medication.

On the consequences of the user - each individual is responsible and accountable for their action. Providing the medication to those who need them eventually is to prevent others from being infected with HIV. Simple logical and mature approach. That’s all.

Commenting has been disabled for this story: “First, do no harm”. This is the fundamental basic principle of doctors. If a doctor cannot follow this principle because of their religious beliefs, then he should not be a doctor.

I would ask these “doctors” if you do not wish to give this medicine, then don’t. It is your choice. But please don’t stop other doctors from giving it.

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