By Muhammad Auwal
The Coalition of Civil Society Network about AIDS in Nigeria (COCSNAN) has called for immediate penalisation of a nurse for stigmatising HIV positive client.
The call followed a stigmatising and discriminatory post against HIV positive client by a nurse in a Port Harcourt-based hospital on Facebook.
Such action is a violation of the 2014 Anti Stigma Act signed into law in February 2015 by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The first Co-Chairman of the coalition, Mr Ikenna Nwakamma described the action of the nurse as “flagrant violation of the anti stigma law.”
He restated the call that the nurse be penalised and stressed that it would serve as a deterrent to others.
Dr Nwakamma urged appropriate authorities to invoke the wrath of the law on the health worker and others who stigmatise patients.
He said: “COCSNAN demands that justice be served on nurse with Port Harcourt hospital.
“She disclosed the identity and made stigmatising statement about HIV positive client.”
The civil society co-chairman called for collective condemnation of stigmatisation, saying it was a constitutional breach.
He explained that it was time for health workers, particularly the union of nurses, to bring the woman to book to restore confidence of people living with the virus.
