Taiwan's local health authorities Monday announced that three special teams will be established within two days to thoroughly investigate a medical accident in which hospitals used the organs of an HIV-positive donor in transplant surgeries.

The Taiwan University Hospital transplanted the organs of an HIV-infected donor on Aug. 24, putting five organ transplant recipients at high risk for contracting AIDS.

Taiwan's health authority Monday issued a statement on its website saying that scholars, law experts, as well as representatives from social organizations would be invited to form the three special mission teams.

The team in charge of investigating the cause of the accident should investigate the entire series of events leading to the accident and determine any loopholes. Punishment will be given according to the results of the investigation, said the statement.

The victim assistance team will visit the organ recipients, their family members, as well as the donor's family relatives in order to calm them and provide help.

The medical consultation team will provide the victims with medical consultation and constantly monitor their conditions.

Taiwan's health authorities have urged the Taiwan University Hospital and Taiwan's Cheng Kung University hospital to not only closely observe the health of the five organ recipients, but also appropriately handle their family members' anxieties.

Health authorities also required the two hospitals to monitor the health of relevant medical staff and provide them with any necessary assistance.

If the two hospitals should have to suspend their organ transplant operations, authorities will arrange for sending relevant patients to other hospitals to receive organ transplants, said the statement.

Events leading to the dangerous transplants

The 37-year-old organ donor suffered a serious head injury and was sent to the Nanmen Hospital in the city of Hsinchu for medical treatment.

The Taiwan University Hospital transplanted the organs of an HIV-infected donor on Aug. 24, putting five organ transplant recipients at high risk for contracting AIDS.

As his condition was not promising, his family took the initiative to contact the Taiwan University Hospital to arrange for the transfer of his organs without knowing that he was an HIV-infected patient.

The man's organs were later brought to Taipei to be transplanted into five different patients, but medical staff failed to check the donor's medical records.

Four organ transplants were done in Taiwan University Hospital, while one was conducted in Cheng Kung University Hospital.

Upon completing the transplant surgeries, medical staff pulled the donor's medical records and only then learned that he was HIV-positive.

This accident marks the first time that organ transplants might lead to recipients contracting AIDS in Taiwan.