Hospital finds HIV-contaminated blood supplied by local Red Cross<\/p>\n
BANDUNG (JP): A private hospital here has found that nine bags
\nof blood supplied by the local office of the Indonesian Red Cross
\n(PMI) have tested positive to the Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus
\n(HIV).<\/p>\n
Head of the Advent Hospital laboratory, Jan Kaimana, said on
\nThursday that his staff detected the deadly virus in a recent
\ntest using the pesona method, which is more effective than the
\ncommonly known elisa technique, only after the family of a
\npatient requested the examination of the blood.<\/p>\n
"We usually offer the test beforehand to our patients who will
\nreceive the PMI blood, because it costs quite a lot," Kaimana
\nsaid, adding that the patient wanted all nine bags.<\/p>\n
"We conducted the tests after the patient's family agreed to
\npay for them."<\/p>\n
The hospital charges a patient Rp 180,000 for a pesona blood
\ntest.<\/p>\n
Kaimana said that soon after the findings the hospital sent
\nthree of the bags back to the PMI office here and the
\nremaining bags to the Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital in Jakarta
\nfor verification.<\/p>\n
The Advent Hospital needs around 300 pouches of blood, each
\ncontaining 250 cc, from the PMI office per month.<\/p>\n
Head of PMI branch office here, Matin Burhan, would not
\nconfirm the existence of the HIV-contaminated blood, saying he
\nhad yet to receive a report on the case.<\/p>\n
But the office's executive in charge of blood transfusion,
\nErlin Kartabrata, admitted that she received on Monday the three
\npouches of blood suspected of containing HIV.<\/p>\n
A second test using the elisa method on the blood, however,
\nturned out negative, according to Erlin.<\/p>\n
"We have also sent the blood to Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital
\nfor another test," she said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta-based state hospital uses the western blot method,
\nwhich many say to be more accurate than the other methods.<\/p>\n
Erlin said the PMI office disposed of between 25,000 and
\n30,000 bags of blood annually for containing viruses of
\nvenereal diseases, hepatitis B and C as well as HIV.<\/p>\n
The office supplies the blood to 27 hospitals and 11 clinics
\nacross the city.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, Minister of Health and Social Welfare Achmad
\nSujudi said he would look into the case thoroughly to examine the
\npossibility of procedural flaws in the tests.<\/p>\n
"There has been no such case found in the country, but if that
\nhappens the PMI must be held accountable," Sujudi said on
\nThursday. (25\/edt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hospital-finds-hiv-contaminated-blood-supplied-by-local-red-cross-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}