Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1998. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Bangkok Post - Jan 9, 1998
Aphaluck Bhatiasevi
Council president Arun Phaosawasdi said though the council agrees with the National Aids Commission in not conducting mandatory HIV test of medical students, several members still feel it is important for medical students to be free from diseases that could be threatening to patients' health.
He said the special committee would take two to three months to study the pros and cons of mandatory blood tests of medical students.
The crucial factor is whether it is right testing students' HIV status when they have less contact with patients, compared to doctors who do not have to undergo any health examination, said Dr Arun.
Dr Suphachai Kunaratanapruk, the council secretary-general, said: "It's a sensitive issue. Actually, medical students should be healthy enough because they are in their study years."
Aids activists will today petition Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai to rule against mandatory testing for HIV of new medical students before enrolling them into universities.
Citing the act as a severe violation of basic rights of students, the "Friends of Or Group" (friends of Aids group comprising NGOs working on Aids) yesterday protested at Chulalongkorn University, where some 40 new medical students were being interviewed and undergoing medical examinations.
Nimit Thien-udom of Access, an Aids counselling centre, said most of the students did not realise that it was their right not to undergo such mandatory testing which may bar them from studying medicine.
He said all students should be equally treated, without bias against those who are weak.
Voraphot Silamangalanon of Benjama Maharaj School in Ubon Ratchathani said he did not know there was any HIV/Aids test being conducted on students selected for the interview.
However, he said even if they conducted a test he had no choice because he wanted to study medicine.
Another student, Orathai Tangnaphakorn, said she agreed with the university's idea in testing medical students because it would be unfair to expose patients to infection risks from doctors.
The university's Faculty of Medicine Dean Preeda Thasanapradit said it was necessary to test the health of students before enrolling them because it is considered a "big investment" to educate medical students.
A careful screening of medical students is also considered a means of protection of patients, he said, adding that it would be unsafe for patients to be treated by doctors who are physically or mentally ill.
"It's a matter of attitude. They (Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Medicine) think it is not worth investing so much on students suffering from various illnesses. They only think of studying medicine from the investment point of view without considering the feelings of the students," said Mr Nimit.
Dr Nanthana Sirisap, the faculty's deputy dean, said it was a normal phenomenon for the faculty of medicine of all universities to conduct medical examinations on students before enrolling them because "we have to be sure that medical students are strong and stable enough to handle complications that they will meet in their working lives."
She said the university did not conduct Aids test on all students, only those suspected of suffering from disease.
According to the university, only students who are unusually thin with hyper lymphnodes will be tested for Aids, but Mr Nimit argued that it is not easy to speculate if a person has HIV/Aids by looking at their physical appearance.
Dr Nanthana however denied that the university had ever actually conducted Aids examinations on students.
"It is necessary for us to carefully screen medical students because we've experienced students who are not mentally or physically sound going into medicine and causing problems for our students.
"It's a normal phenomenon not to accept all students who pass the written examination. Many students do fail the interview. Our case is no exception," said Dr Nanthana.
She said though medical officials take full precautions before working on patients, accidents often occur, particularly while conducting operations.
The Ministry of University Affairs last November discussed the matter and set up a working group, due to meet next week, to discuss whether it is ethical for universities to conduct mandatory blood tests on students.
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