We were in a meeting called at the civic office. One of the members, a professor of a clinical specialty, was unhappy with having to travel to the place every now and then.
"You have a vehicle. Why don't you send it to our hospital to get us here? There are three members who can come together" she said.
"They give you taxi-fare" I said. "Take a cab."
"No cabbie is willing to come for such a short distance" she said. "The vehicle would be ideal."
"But the vehicle will have to keep waiting for all members to arrive before it can leave" I said. "I prefer to come on time and finish my work in time. The vehicle will prevent me from coming on time."
"But I don't like to walk in the sun. It gives me skin rash" she said.
"We gave you taxi-fare" said the civic administrator, "you should come by a cab."
This was getting us nowhere, while time was short.
"The vehicle they use is a van" I showed the size of the van by spreading my hands wide and high. "They do not disinfect it."
"Disinfect? What for?" the professor asked.
"They use it to transport HIV positive patients" I said gravely, looking at the civic administrator with a look warning her not to contradict me. After all, I was doing it to resolve a conflict and move on.
"Oh, my God? They transport HIV patients in that van?" the professor asked incredulously.
"Yes. Would you like to travel in it knowing they do not disinfect it?"
"No! I will walk" she said.
That was that. I thought a clinician would not think traveling in a vehicle used by HIV infected persons would infect her, nor would a clinician be afraid of HIV. After all, treating them is a part of our job. Well, this professor proved me wrong on both counts. What I had said as a half joke turned out to be gospel truth for her.
"You have a vehicle. Why don't you send it to our hospital to get us here? There are three members who can come together" she said.
"They give you taxi-fare" I said. "Take a cab."
"No cabbie is willing to come for such a short distance" she said. "The vehicle would be ideal."
"But the vehicle will have to keep waiting for all members to arrive before it can leave" I said. "I prefer to come on time and finish my work in time. The vehicle will prevent me from coming on time."
"But I don't like to walk in the sun. It gives me skin rash" she said.
"We gave you taxi-fare" said the civic administrator, "you should come by a cab."
This was getting us nowhere, while time was short.
"The vehicle they use is a van" I showed the size of the van by spreading my hands wide and high. "They do not disinfect it."
"Disinfect? What for?" the professor asked.
"They use it to transport HIV positive patients" I said gravely, looking at the civic administrator with a look warning her not to contradict me. After all, I was doing it to resolve a conflict and move on.
"Oh, my God? They transport HIV patients in that van?" the professor asked incredulously.
"Yes. Would you like to travel in it knowing they do not disinfect it?"
"No! I will walk" she said.
That was that. I thought a clinician would not think traveling in a vehicle used by HIV infected persons would infect her, nor would a clinician be afraid of HIV. After all, treating them is a part of our job. Well, this professor proved me wrong on both counts. What I had said as a half joke turned out to be gospel truth for her.
