Jon-Jo may know his law, but he certainly doesn’t know his infectious diseases.
That’s what this South African blogger is saying about the Justice in Barrie who has recently drawn fire for his ignorance on HIV.
Justice Jon-Jo Douglas said at a trial last November,
The HIV virus will live in a dried state for year after year after year and only needs moisture to reactivate itself…
I mean, he speaks within two feet of me with two serious infectious diseases. Either you mask your witness and-or move us to another courtroom or we do not proceed.
HIV is typically inactivated within minutes of exposure to the air, and cannot be trasmitted thereafter.
What’s stranger is that “Mike” reports that as a result of this incident he has resigned as a board member of Stevenson Memorial Hospital, in Allison, Ont.
The critieria used to find his replacement include:
- business management experience
- knowledge of government and health policy
- financial expertise and literacy
- experience in human resources
- information technology
- construction
- quality control or strategic planning
- previous governance experience
- patient care
- health care and clinical experience
Might just be us, but those last two points would seem to be important for governing a major health care institution.
This type of ignorance towards HIV/AIDS has raised concerns among activists.
Ryan Peck, executive director of the HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic (HALCO) stated in a letter to the Ontario Judicial Council,
If in fact the judicial council finds this behaviour took place, these are the kinds of attitudes that lead to stigma and discrimination.
This story follows a recent order by the Ontario Human Rights Commission against a restaurant that fired a waitress because customers complained that she was married to a man with HIV.
The Commission has a published official policy guide on HIV/AIDS discrimination available online.
