Access to voluntary counselling and HIV testing services by Tonga Hospital employees

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The advent of HIV/AIDS poses a gigantic challenge to mankind. This global pandemiccalls on all of us-regardless of whether we operate within government circles or in theprivate sector-to cooperate in eradicating the scourge of HIV/AIDS. The global impact ofHIV/AIDS has wreaked grave havoc on family structures, the Health and Educationsectors as well as various crucial productive industries, namely, the agricultural, mining,retail and financial services sectors.The South African national Department of Health is charged with leading the provisionof access to HIV VCT services for all deserving members of the South Africancommunity. It behoves of all of healthcare service providers to ensure ease of access tosuch services to all deserving individuals.The South African Department of Health contends that the number of people enrolledinto ARV roll-out program in South Africa is low. The South African community mayaccess this service at accredited HIV VCT sites in CCMTs as well as in district andregional hospitals. People who are covered by medical insurance may access theseservices at private institutions of their choice.HCWs at government institutions suffer a triple whammy from HIV/AIDS, namely,caring for HIV positive patients in the hospital wards daily, supporting relatives strickenby HIV/AIDS (and AIDS-orphaned relatives) as well as carrying out duties of colleagueswho are debilitated by HIV/AIDS.Access to HIV VCT services at Tonga Hospital-a 250-bed district hospital in the east ofthe Mpumalanga province is extremely low.A quantitative and descriptive study was performed to unravel the causes of the lowaccess to HIV VCT services by HCWs at Tonga Hospital. Using an anonymousquestionnaire (for which names and surnames were not required), this study found thatfear and stigma of a HIV diagnosis played a huge role in preventing HCWs at TongaHospital from accessing free HIV VCT services at their place of work.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University