In a Sunday News column, one of Lancaster’s most dedicated and self sacrificing physicians, Jeffrey T. Kirchner, pleads with the public to routinely be tested for HIV infection. He points out:
“In the U.S., it’s estimated about 21 percent of all people infected with HIV are unaware of their infection. One of the most important issues facing the medical and scientific community is stopping the spread of HIV. Knowing your HIV status is an essential part of ending the epidemic. Without awareness of one’s HIV status, precautions are often not taken, and thus the epidemic continues to grow among the young and old. Sadly, when I see a new patient in our practice, I know I will see another two, or possibly more, patients related to this case.”
Kirchner is employed by Lancaster General Hospital. He loyally states: “HIV prevention and counseling of patients and their spouses or partners are priorities at Comprehensive Care Medicine at Lancaster General Health.”
What he knows and doesn’t say is that the most effective way to reach HIV victims is ‘to meet them where they are’, through a modern syringe exchange. He also doesn’t say that the so called Comprehensive Care Medicine consists largely of him, is a sop for the public, and is largely funded by our government and others.
It is very sad to say that a public charity that extracts monopolistic prices and drives up our health insurance costs, whose vast earnings go to their own executives and sometimes dubious expansion and programs, will not contribute a penny towards preventing the spread of HIV through the estimated 5,000 to 10,000 heroin addicts in our community. That is the battle ground where you meet those who unintentionally spread HIV / AIDS. (They are unlikely to read and heed articles in the Sunday News!)
Three wags of the tail for Kirchner, a true hero and perhaps the lowest paid specialist in the county. Shame on the leaders of LGH, a Public Charity, who turned their backs on the Urban League when it requested funds to provide a syringe exchange for Lancaster.
