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Bihar Doctor Punished for HIV Data Leak to Media
13 Dec
Summary
- A contractual doctor in Bihar was suspended and had salary stopped.
- This action was taken for allegedly sharing incorrect HIV data with media.
- The data caused confusion about a supposed spike in HIV cases.
In Bihar, a contractual doctor assigned to the anti-retroviral therapy (ART) centre in Sitamarhi district has been issued a show-cause notice, and their salary has been halted. This action by the state government stems from allegations of the doctor disseminating inaccurate information about HIV cases to the media, leading to public apprehension.
Reports of a significant increase in HIV cases, including a high number of affected children, had circulated widely, prompting queries from national health authorities. However, district officials and health department representatives later clarified that the reported figures were cumulative registrations of HIV cases since 2005. They explained that only a small fraction of these represented new infections recorded in the current year.
The civil surgeon confirmed that the doctor, identified as the ART medical officer, was served the notice for speaking to the media without authorization and providing misleading statistics. The doctor's response to the notice is pending, and their salary remains withheld as the situation unfolds. Bihar's adult HIV prevalence remains below the national average.
