Wednesday, November 26, 2008

HIV bunkmate

The TV drama 不凡的爱 ended its run on channel 8 a few days ago. The show is about an AIDS patient, how society treats him after having knowledge of his illness and how he was cared for by his family. While i watched the show, i dismissed it as surreal, and that i would not encounter an AIDS patient ever. I always thought that they would be locked up somewhere, and would not be in contact with the society. How wrong i was.

It was only a few days ago when i knew that one of my bunkmate has HIV, and that he was going to ORD soon. He just came back from an operation on his knee, and it was during the operation, when the doctors found out about his illness. My first reaction was typical of a rational human, to steer clear of him so as to minimise any chance(if there was any) of contracting the virus from him. Immediately i stereotyped him with the conventional wisdom i had of an AIDS patient. I wanted to tell CSM, so that he could let me stay out and hence as far away from him as possible. It was self-serving selfish human behaviour in action.

It was fortunate that i was not able to do that on impulse, as it was already night time, and CSM was already at home, and me, getting ready to sleep in the bunk with my HIV bunkmate. I calmed myself down and reasoned out the possibilty of getting HIV from the bunkmate. Close to nil, unless he decides to spill his blood on any open wound which i have, or rapes me, both cases unfathomable. I decided not to blow the whistle and trumpet his illness. My medic bunkmate only told a few people about this HIV bunkmate.

He is on MC til next month, when he would ORD. Come to think of it, it might have been the right thing not to tell CSM about this issue. My medic bunkmate was wise enough. CSM would have warned everyone, and people would shun my HIV bunkmate. Soldiers would have acted like aunties in the TV drama, and that would certainly not be pretty.

I found the MO's decision to continue letting him stay with other soldiers even though he has HIV puzzling. They allowed him to stay for about 3 days before giving him MC to stay out. Perharps the MO had to get permission from somebody superior? I don't know. But i pity this guy who has HIV. He is only 21. Many doors are now shut for him.

iduntellu at 9:44 PM

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