People living with HIV are not only routinely denied treatment in government and private hospitals in Yemen’s healthcare system, but Human Rights Watch (HRW) alleges they are often are subjecting to humiliating treatment from doctors.

The New York-based organization’s new report details individual cases, including a pregnant woman who was denied a caesarean delivery once doctors realized that she was HIV-positive.  In another case, an unconscious stroke victim suffering seizures was thrown out of a hospital emergency department.  Her husband was then detained by the hospital’s security staff for 45 minutes before being released with a warning that he should “not cause any trouble in the future.”

HRW sent a letter to Yemen’s Health Minister protesting the problems in the country’d health care system, and urging officials to uphold a 2009 law that mandates free health services to people with HIV, and criminalizes discrimination against them by health workers.

“Kicking sick people out of the hospital because they have HIV is not just discriminatory, it’s cruel,” said Nadim Houry, HRW’s deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa.  “The Health Ministry should enforce Yemen’s law barring discrimination against people who are HIV-positive.”