POLL COMMENTS |
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Kwa Soo Ben | 2008-12-04 15:39:37 |
If we are to solve or at least reduce the incidences of HIV, we must treat HIV like other communicable disease. We must put aside our prejudices against the HIV-positive patients because we feel that they had brought the disease upon themselves with their behaviour. Our focus should be on solving the problem. Simultaneously double the effort to educate the public on the importance of taking preventive measures.
Ben |
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K.T | 2008-12-04 09:19:56 |
singapore is becoming the medicinal center for most of the countries for treatment and surgery. Cancer and disease are been subsidies as many people are contacting it. why not the government subsidies too for the HIV? since there is no way to cure at this moment, why not prevent further rather than affect others. |
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Just Talk Only | 2008-12-03 15:35:53 |
I believe Singaporean politicians will soon realize that they are sending the wrong message to the people by refusing to subsidize HIV/AIDS patients medicately. For ill Singaporeans, HIV/AIDS patients would form the lowest class. So, social class wise, does the message mean we should also not help the bottom 20% of Singaporeans since they came with less that good genes? Hmmm....... |
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jimmy | 2008-12-03 00:20:31 |
you MUST have subsidised treatment available if you're going to have opt-out testing like Singapore now has
you're testing people without their direct consent, if they're found to be positive, and they can't get treatment, what are they going to do ? you've forced them to be aware of their condition but what's the point of that if you're not going to help with it ? |
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Dennis Lim | 2008-12-02 23:12:13 |
I think it is unlikely that the big and rich pharmaceutical companies would lower the prices. The research and developmental costs (spread over years) of such a HIV drug could reach astronomical amounts. The limited patents they are granted gives them the profit margin to cover such costs. The root of the problem is the nature of the disease. If the disease is like smallpox or polio, then perhaps subsidy from govt or even the producers would be more forthcoming. The very fact that we have this forum to debate this means to me that HIV is seen in a different light because of its nature. Contracting HIV is often linked to being sexually casual or drug-related. Look beyond this and one will see that to provide subsidy is no big deal than offering Growth Bonus or GST Credits to all Singaporeans. |
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ng guohui | 2008-12-02 23:08:56 |
jo: there's no such thing as asking govt not to subsidise those people whom you label 'asked for it'. HIV infection should be treated like any other infection. By subsidising only selected people, you'll only be further stigmatising the disease. It's as good as leaving the SARS patients to die because they 'asked for it' for travelling overseas or the Hep B patients who ate shellfish on their own accord. The only way to win this war against HIV is to treat it like any other infection. The virus doesn't discriminate. It's the people who do. So let's not be too quick to judge. |
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Clumsy Girl | 2008-12-02 18:52:39 |
Instead of getting our govt to subsidize these anti-viral drugs, I wonder if the huge and rich pharmacetical companies could help subsidize these patients. With no other companies being able to make the generic version of anti-viral drugs, these companies have huge profit margins and they can do their CSR part by contributing back to the society. |
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Gary | 2008-12-02 18:43:47 |
I think the government should look at the bigger picture and provide subsidies. Providing subsidies will increase access to medication and this may reduce the individual's viral load if they are compliant with the medication. This ultimately may help to control the spread of the disease.
Anyway, it's not like the government can't afford it with our ministers drawing salaries greater than 'peanuts'. |
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jo | 2008-12-02 15:44:20 |
if the gov felt uncomfortable to subsidize those who "ask for it" perhaps subsidize those innocent who get it from their partner and parents. |
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CFOW | 2008-12-02 13:30:33 |
It depends if the HIV patient should get subsidised treatment. If the patient got HIV through unprotected sex on his or her accord then maybe he or she doesn't deserve it since they don't take good care of themselves. |
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Chow Chia Yung | 2008-12-02 12:28:53 |
I feel that HIV patients should receive subsidised treatment. They are unwell and should receive the same treatment as other patients who suffer from other diseases. If no subsidy is allowed, the stigma about AIDS would never be removed. This would attest discrimination and these HIV patients would be ostracised. Hence, the importance of providing subsidised treatment cannot be stressed enough. Therefore, I reiterate my stand that subsidised treatment should and must be allowed. |
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GT | 2008-12-02 10:33:37 |
Imagine you are the HIV affected person? Would you want to be subsidised? There is nothing to do with the bedroom. If everyone knows that his/her partner is HIV positive, do you think they would still want to be "in" the bedroom with their partner(S)? Nobody wants to be infected. The main point is to help the people lower their medical costs. That includes other illness too and not be limited to HIV. But the topic now is HIV..Be focus! |
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WK | 2008-12-02 09:56:00 |
Regardless of how a person gets HIV infection, he/she should be entitled to the same level of subsidised medical treatment as any other dieases. Prevention and effective treatment come hand in hand. Denying access to treatment due to unaffordability is as good as giving the HIV patients a slow death sentence. |
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Marliana | 2008-12-02 09:30:45 |
The treatment should be subsidised depending on the case-to-case basis (in conjunction to the income of the patient). |
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Cindy | 2008-12-02 09:28:08 |
With specific reference to KL:
Lets not kid ourselves. We all live our lives recklessly or without much protection (of all sorts!) at one time or another. Do not discriminate a patient from subsidies just because of the way he/she contracted the illness.
If someone who is obese ate recklessly, or someone who smoke recklessly are allowed to get subsidies, I don't see why we should accord subsidies based on the way they contract the illness.
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