July 3: Aids does not seem to scare Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. While the recent death of a surgeon at the prestigious Tata Memorial Hospital due to AIDS has brought the issue of doctors' safety into sharp focus, medical and paramedical staff at the BMC hospitals continue to work without even the most basic protection against the dreaded disease.The hospitals are neither equipped with the AIDS kits to detect HIV positive cases, nor do they have the protective gear to safeguard its staff against infections.

Even blood bags and latex gloves are in short supply at some hospitals.According to the leader of the House, Shiv Sena's Nandu Satam, two nurses at the Cooper Hospital have already died of AIDS, while another is serious. ``I have learnt that five intern doctors at the BYL Nair Hospital are HIV positive, but they continue to work without the proper protective clothing, increasing the risk of infection not only for the patients, but also other doctors,'' Satam told Express Newsline.

BMC had sanctioned Rs 1.10 crore to the AIDS cell at its Kamathipura Eye Hospital for procuring protective gear. The funds were to be utilised before the financial year ending March 31. The tenders were floated on January 14.Of the ten companies that applied, only three could meet the conditions put forth by the BMC. The samples, including a full suit to cover a person from head to toe, special glasses and hand gloves were also checked and approved by the government laboratory.

``The tender committee headed by the deputy municipal commissioner, S K Singh, the executive health officer, Alka Karande and the deputy executive health officer in charge of the AIDS cell also approved these companies in its meeting on April 11,'' Satam said.

``Instead of immediately placing purchase orders, Singh passed verbal orders to invite fresh tenders without assigning any reasons for rejecting the previous ones,'' Satam said.

Two of the three companies -- Unilink and Jeevanrekha Medical and Surgical also wrote to the municipal commissioner, Girish Gokhale, seeking an explanation in this regard, but in vain, he said. ``Finally I wrote a letter to the additional municipal commissioner, Ratnakar Gaikwad, who is in charge of the health department, but have not received any response from him till today,'' Satam added.

S K Singh said although the three companies had fulfilled the bid conditions, their products had failed a few laboratory tests. ``We were asked to relax the conditions, but that is impossible. Now we have no other alternative but to invite the tenders again...a final decision will be made in about two to three months,'' he said.

Sources said almost 20 per cent of all indoor patients in the civic hospitals are feared to be HIV positive. ``The doctors and the paramedical staff who attend to them and even carry out operations expose themselves to the risk of contracting AIDS,'' they said, adding that the situation was worse at the TB hospital at Sewree.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.