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A widow and mother of three, Samia died ten days after admission to the hospital complaining from increasing severe pain in her stomach, headaches and constant vomiting and diarrhea. Throughout her stay at the Abbasiya Hospital, the government health facility designated for care and treatment of people living with HIV and AIDS in Cairo, Samia’s health continued to rapidly deteriorate without sufficient attention or care from the hospital’s medical personnel. According to family members and friends who accompanied Samia during her last days, the AIDS ward of the hospital lacked equipment and medicines and Samia had to buy her own medications from outside pharmacies. She was not receiving enough fluids to keep her hydrated, and the doctors and nurses on call often were unavailable for examination or care. Samia’s adherence to her anti-retroviral treatment was also not monitored during her stay at the hospital. Moreover, the sanitary levels at the ward were dismal – the ward was not being cleaned, the bed sheets were not changed and hot water was not available. Eventually, Samia’s body gave in and her family and friends were told by a hospital doctor that the constant vomiting and diarrhea were the cause of her death.
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