Labour want HIV free nurses
February 23rd, 2010
Several labour unions in Uganda want health workers to declare their HIV status in a bid to prevent infection of patients in operating theatres, wound dressing, or treatment.
While occupational HIV transmission is a workplace health and safety issue to health workers, some labour officials view the exposure of injured patients also as an occupational issue, despite the fact that HIV is not an occupational or notifiable disease.
Injured workers are at risk of HIV infection from some health workers, said Ugandan labour unions.
At a legislation workshop, Ugandan Confederation of Free Trade Unions (CFTU) official Moses Mawuku recommended to government to impose health work HIV disclosure, saying that workers had a right to safety during health care procedures.
Organisad labour does not support stigmatization of the disease, but aim to prevent HIV infection at every opportunity.
Uganda’s HIV /AIDS Prevention and Control Bill was published for comment and discussed at a labour event in February, hosted by Actionaid and labour representatives in the Ugandan parliament.
Labour politicians are expected to change the draft of the prevention Bill to include health work HIV disclosure. Labour union officials also debated the proposed light sentences for breach of HIV prevention, proposed to be set at three months imprisonment, or a light fine, or both.
PHOTO; Nurse and patient in an HIV ward in Uganda.
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