Recent suit settlement promises massive AIDS reforms in Phila.

The U.S. Justice Department has settled a lawsuit brought by a Philadelphia student that will provide sweeping AIDS reforms for the city, and possibly for the entire nation. The settlement between the city and the student, which occurred last week, requires that the city develop an AIDS awareness program, including AIDS/HIV care training for emergency personnel. The suit was based on an incident in January 1993, when rescue workers from the Philadelphia Fire Department refused assistance to an injured student when they discovered that he was taking AZT, a drug many people believe helps suppress the AIDS virus. The emergency medical technicians refused to place the student on a stretcher, the lawsuit alleged. Even though he had an erratic pulse and was complaining of severe chest pains, workers told him to get on the stretcher himself. A teacher later helped him on, according to the suit. As a result of the settlement between the city and the student, the city must train 2,300 Fire Department employees, including 900 emergency medical technicians, on how to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS. The employees will also be taught to respect victims' privacy while rendering medical care and be sensitive to the needs of HIV/AIDS victims. If fire fighters and EMTs do not abide by the new policies, they will face disciplinary action. The Fire Department must also pay the student $10,000 and provide him with a formal written apology. The Justice Department will not release the name of the student. "The city will be responsible for taking measures, including appropriate disciplinary action to enforce this policy," said U.S. Justice Department spokesperson Myron Marlin. "I think training will go a long way towards dispelling a lot of the myths, and enforceable disciplinary action will also go a long way." Representatives of the Philadelphia AIDS Law Project, the organization that represented the student, said they are satisfied with the outcome. "[The settlement] insures that the people of Philadelphia who have AIDS are treated," said attorney Ronda Goldfein. "I think they are great terms." The reforms are not expected to stay within the city limits. "[The reforms affect] Philadelphia, but we believe that the plan made by Philadelphia can be used as a model for the rest of the nation," Marlin said.

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