aren’t AIDS sufferers Singaporeans too?

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I have always admired the profession of doctors and the Hippocratic Oath. To me, no job is more noble than saving lives, and they do it daily. Everyone needs a doctor, and doctors deserve the support from everyone too.

I read from an email about how Singaporean doctors are pushing for AIDS drugs to be subsidized. I read the news last week but didn’t think much of it, with the Mumbai terrorist attacks being of relative importance. Today, Channelnewsasia has reported here that “Singapore’s Communicable Disease Centre (CDC) said it is confident all HIV patients in Singapore will have access to anti-HIV drugs by 2010. ” and that the doctors are pushing for it.

I have always felt afraid of HIV and AIDs, thanks to the “incurable disease” tag, even though I know that HIV and AIDs CANNOT be spread via contact or anything. It can only be transmitted through an exchange of body fluids. But I am still afraid, its just one of those things. I am sure many people feel the same deep down. Its not about not accepting them. Its just that the “incurable disease” tag weighs heavily against my conscious and logical mind. That’s why I fully understand why most AIDs patients choose to remain silent.

But I do not believe in shunning patients with AIDs. I believe that they need help like everyone of us. Today, antiretroviral drugs are very expensive and not subsidized by the government unlike other drugs. I will not speculate on the reasons for this, but logic tells me the government chooses not to tackle this problem, perhaps due to the apprehensions of the policy-makers themselves. It could also be that AIDs sufferers are thought to have “brought this on themselves” when they did not practise safe sex or whatsoever, but that isn’t true too. Some of them contracted AIDs through no fault of their own, for example babies or people who got it from their spouses.

To me, how people contracted AIDs should not be considered as a factor in the decision to not subsidize the expensive drugs. The fire has already started. We should concentrate on putting out the fire first. In other words, the blame game should not be important anymore. What is important is that these living people and citizens of Singapore should be given help when they need it most. I am not advocating unsafe sex or anything like that, but one must consider that these are people who need help and they paid taxes just like every other Singaporean did. Why should they get discriminated unfairly just because they contracted a disease that is expensive to treat? Surely subsidies would go a long way in helping them get on with their life?

I honestly hope that policy makers do not believe that subsidizing these drugs would lead to a spike in infection. There is absolutely no logical co-relation between the two. I am sure nobody wants to contract a terminal disease, and people would take necessary precautions. Our education campaign should not stop, and we should raise the awareness of AIDs in Singapore. But that does not mean we should forget about helping those already affected. They have already been punished enough, given the terminal nature of the disease. By refusing to help with subisidizing the drugs, the state is effectively punishing them again. How unfair is that?

One might argue that taxpayers should not pay for the folly of these people. Let us not make this an excuse to not help these people. Firstly, these people pay taxes too. Secondly, public expenditure on this subsidy would go a long way to helping this growing group of people in a practical and cost-effective way. I would much rather taxpayers’ money be channeled into helping these people than a HUGE black hole known as MINDEF, in which the actual benefit is yet to be known. By helping them cope with the expenditure of these drugs, it would improve their immune system and prevent them from falling sick more often(and costing taxpayers’ more money to treat them).

The doctors in CDC are pushing for more public awareness. I endorse wholeheartedly this move. Please do the same here or here(buy a lipstick) if you believe in this cause.

Remember, we are all Singaporeans.

We, the citizens of Singapore,

Pledge ourselves as one united people.

Regardless of race, language or religion…

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Filed under Singapore, social issues

Tags: AIDS, help, singaporeans, subsidies, world aids day