Cornwall: Doctor took his own life after learning he was HIV positive
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An inquest has heard that an “exceptional” hospital doctor took his own life after learning that he was HIV positive.
The body of 31-year-old Juzar Adamjee was discovered at his home near Redruth in Cornwall, on 22 June 2012 by a nurse and doctor who became concerned when he failed to attend an out-patients appointment following an HIV test.
Giving evidence at the inquest last week, Detective Constable Jonathon Bray ruled out any third party involvement saying Mr Adamjee was found in bed surrounded by photographs of his family.
Mr Adamjee, who worked in the Royal Cornwall Hospital Medical Admissions Unit in Truro, had injected himself with a lethal cocktail of drugs commonly used at the hospital.
Recording a verdict of suicide coroner Andrew Cox said that the doctor’s drugs overdose and note to his mother, following his HIV test result, showed that he intended to take his own life, adding: “We are without an excellent doctor as a result.”
Mr Cox also asked the interim medical director whether HIV posed a risk to any of the patients treated by the doctor.
In response, Dr Duncan Browne said Mr Adamjee had not carried out any procedures that caused concern to patients.
In a statement following the inquest the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust added: “The trust followed the national assessment guidance for infection in healthcare professionals.
“Dr Adamjee was not involved in exposure prone procedures and it would not have been necessary to restrict the extent of his clinical practice as result of his illness.”
Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies said the existing restrictions were outdated.
Healthcare workers with HIV will be allowed to undertake all procedures if they are on effective combination anti-retroviral drug therapy.
They must also have an undetectable viral load of HIV in their body, and will be regularly monitored.
Mr Adamjee had previously raised just over £1,000 for the charity Concern Worldwide as a participant in the 2010 London Marathon.
In 2010, Mr Adamjee wrote on his Just Giving page:
This is my first time running in the London Marathon and I am hoping there will be more.This year I will be running for charity in the memory of my dear grandma. We are approaching the first anniversary of her death and this for her. She was brought up in Africa, a continent that is dear to me. ‘Concern’ supports various projects in Africa to improve the local standards of health and education. These are both key if a country is to escape poverty. I have been fortunate to experience the generosity of others which has helped me to get to where I am in my life and I am supporting ‘Concern’ to help those who have not been so lucky.Thank you and God bless.RegardsJuzar
Tom Hayes, the editor of beyondpositive, an online magazine for people living with HIV in the UK, has today mentioned the case of Juzar Adamjee in a PinkNews article as part of Mental Health Awareness Day.
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