Malawi doctor vows to defend charges of disclosing woman’s HIV status
Medical practitioner Dr Albert Mkandawire will fight to prove his innocence and has received the support of the Medical Council of Malawi (MCM after a Blantyre –based woman (name shielded), applied to court for to prohibit him from publicising her HIV status.
The woman asked the court’s relief against the doctor from physically and verbally abusing her and an order was given to Mkandawire not to engange”in publicising her sero-status, interfering with her friends on social media and preventing her from going to work comfortably.
Mkandawire , currently working as Nkhata Bay district health officer (DHO), said he is deeply upset with the accusation, and he denies exposing the woman’s HIV status and abusing her.
The medical practitioner argues that docctors are bound by a duty of confidentiality to their patients but this is not absolute.
He states that doctor should discuss how the patient can prevent transmission of HIV to his partner, for example, safe sex including consistent use of condoms and use of post-exposure prophylaxis.
Furher, Mkandawire argues that if the doctor has concerns that the patient is practising unsafe sex with a partners and has not disclosed the status, then the medical personel can justify breaching confidentiality and disclosure in the public interest (if failure to disclose may expose others to risk of death or serious harm).
HIV infected people are encouraged to disclose their statis to any sexual partner and must use protection in sexual intercourse.
Women and Law in Southern Africa Research and Education Trust (Wlsa-Malawi) filed the application on behalf of the woman on March 9 2016.
Medical Council of Malawi (MCM) conducted an investigation on October 20 2015 and is expected to testify when the matter comes up for hearing.
The findings of the probe—titled ‘An Investigation Report on Allegations that Dr Mkandawire Violated [name withheld] Right to Privacy and Confidentiality by Revealing her Medical Conditions to Friends and Partners without her Consent’—was submitted to the council’s registrar on November 30 2015.
The purpose of the investigation was to establish whether allegations that Dr Mkandawire was involved in unprofessional conduct against the woman resulting in psychological trauma were valid and also to establish whether the medical doctor violated the doctor-patient relationship.
The Nation quoted the Council report which it reports that n the woman, upon a friend’s recommendation, met Dr Mkandawire at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) in Blantyre for medical assistance.
During the consultations, Dr Mkandawire suspected her of having tuberculosis (TB) on top of the existing HIV status, alleges the report.
The doctor then allegedly inquired if the woman had a boyfriend to relieve her of stress to which she replied that her husband died in 2010.
Later, according to MCM, the two started a romantic relationship for two years until Dr Mkandawire was posted to Nkhata Bay District Hospital.
The report alleges that when the woman visited the doctor after some time, she claims to have discovered that he had a new girlfriend, which led to a quarrel between the woman and the doctor.
The woman ended up going to Nkhata Bay Police Station officer-in-charge who advised her to return to her base in Blantyre, according to the MCM report.
In the report, the woman alleges that after some time, she received a phone call from Dr Mkandawire’s alleged girlfriend mocking her about her HIV status.
Later, after Dr Mkandawire had left for Egypt in November 2015, the two started sending each other abusive short message service (SMS) texts, says the report.
The woman accuses Dr. Mkandawire of revealing what the MCM report calls “too much information” to the new girlfriend.
Mkandawire told the investigative team that he never “exposed” the woman.
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It is not ethical for a doctor to date his patient. The Doctor must be disciplined and not defended. There is nothing to defend in this behaviour.
hahaha
No integrity.. Lack of professionalism and primitive typical African uneducated behavior!..
the issue is not about breach of confidentially but rather anger due to a failed love affair.
Only in Malawi ndithu. kusaopa edzi anthu inu, mpake mungofa ngati nkhuk.. doctor who is supposed to give hiv advice naye angosoka ngati galu. naye medical council full of rotten people like Dr Mkandawire and no wonder they are backing him. No ethics at all in Malawi and yet you tout yourself as God fearing.
Most Africa both men and women don’t review heir HIV status. They lie because they eat ARV in secret. Its bad. I have said to myself no dating an African man for the reason they lie. The ones who are afraid of their lives they ask a new girlfriend to go for testing together. Its better that way. When I met my husband a white we went for test, he said if you have I will still love u and we will get married. And he asked me what will I do if he has I said the same. We… Read more »
Dear friends, How can I explain this to the world again that there is a man who can cure HIV/aids I was HIV over since 5year I have being into HIV drug I can’t anymore I decide to look for help then I found post by miss randy write about this great man dr.alimo telling people about how this man have cured her HIV I don’t believe that, because all I have in mind is HIV had no cure, thank god for my life today am HIV negative through the power of dr.alimo contacted this man for help because who… Read more »
Once this woman started having a romantic relationship with the good doctor, the issue of doctor-patient relationship ended there. As it is, the issue is now about a love triangle where one woman feels used and abused an d wants to get back at the good doctor for dumping her!!! Her aim is for the good doctor to suffer for dumping her for another woman. My advice to this widow with a hidden HIV status and a hidden name is please learn to let go, ife amuna ena tilipo…Leave the good doctor alone to enjoy the new girlfriend and then… Read more »
I know the whole story. Its not what is written. Ask me.
Madokotala a chitumbuka ndi choncho!
O………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..O This just shows that the Medical Council of Malawi has no integrity at all . . . . . . how would the Council want to defend a doctor who clearly childishly breached the confidentiality vow? Even the alibi that the disclosure was done to protect others from the HIV-positive woman, is empty.. . . . Who are these others the doctor is trying to protect? yet he himself is a customer of this woman’s goods and services? . . . And how does the doctor claim to want to protect others, and fail to protect himself from the… Read more »