HIV infects four in Maumere

MAUMERE, East Nusa Tenggara: At least four people in East Nusa Tenggara have tested positive for Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus (HIV), a state hospital official said.

Head of the pathology clinic at the W.Z. Johanes General Hospital in the provincial capital of Kupang, Samson Ehe Teron, said a verification test conducted in Cipto Mangunkusumo in Jakarta on blood samples of the four people confirmed the results.

The initial test took place in June as a prerequisite for blood donors.

Samson said the number of HIV carriers could be higher since the provincial Red Cross office had only managed to conduct tests on 5,000 out of 15,000 bags of blood collected this year, due to a financial shortage. (yac/lup)