AIDS blood donor infects 21 others in Jilin (Xinhua) Updated: 2005-12-03 14:24
CHANGCHUN -- Six health officials in Dehui City, northeast China's Jilin
Province, who were held accountable for an incident in which one AIDS blood
donor infected 21 others, were either stripped of their leading posts or placed
on probation within the Party.
According to a report given by the Health
Bureau of Changchun City, the provincial capital, a resident of Dehui City, 41
and with a surname of Song, who has unknowingly become a person living with HIV
virus, made 15 blood donations with the Central Blood Bank of Dehui City between
January 2003 and June 2004, but strangely enough, no HIV virus had been tested
in Song's donated blood.
One investigation with Dehui City Hospital
suggests that 25 patients have had received blood donated by Song. Further
investigations prove that Song have altogether infected 21 others via blood
transmission or sexually.
Eighteen of Song's blood recipients have been
clinically diagnosed to have infected with HIV virus, of whom, three have
developed into AIDS and died. Song's two sex partners, as well as one of the two
sex partners' spouses have also been diagnosed to have had infected with HIV
virus, said the report.
After the incident was reported, health
departments of Jilin Province have organized strict investigations and taken
measures to prevent the disease from spreading. The local government has
informed those victims who received Song's blood of HIV infection and executing
relevant preferential policies of the state toward the victims.
In the
meantime, relevant departments have also traces 45 more people who have close
contacts with recipients who used Song's blood. But the HIV antiviral tests have
all showed negative.
Thirty-seven other blood donors who also made blood
donations when Song did were also told to undergo HIV antiviral test and were
also proved negative.
The six responsible officials who were penalized
in the incident are director and deputy director of the health bureau of Dehui
City, the acting leader, plus the formerly leader of the medical policy section,
president and vice president of Dehui City Hospital.
Local police had
detained 11 workers with the Central Blood Bank of Dehui City. Relevant
departments will seek after their criminal responsibilities in the HIV infection
incident, according to the Health Bureau of Changchun City.
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