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, promising to execute 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.
(Xinhua News Agency December 3, 2005)