PMI blood free of HIV/AIDS

JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare declared on Wednesday that blood in the nine bags from the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) Bandung branch in West Java was free of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

"The laboratory in Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital (RSCM in Jakarta) has run three tests from samples of the nine blood bags using the Western Blot method and all were proven HIV negative," Director General of Communicable Disease Umar Fahmi Achmadi told The Jakarta Post.

Unlike the elisa test which is used for antibody testing only, the Western Blot method can be used to check both antibodies and antigenes from the blood sample, he explained.

"People must not be afraid as PMI has a very strict screening test for blood donors.

"It is also standard procedure that all suspected contaminated blood is not used and must to be destroyed."

Umar made his remark amid allegations that the blood in the nine bags supplied by the PMI Bandung office were found to be HIV positive when tested by the Bandung Advent Hospital laboratory.

The Advent Hospital laboratory stated last week that after the family of a patient requested an examination of the blood, the staff detected the deadly virus using the pesona method, which is more effective -- according to the hospital doctors -- than the commonly applied elisa technique.

PMI, however, denied the claim.

"We also sent a team to Bandung on Tuesday to check on the procedure and it turned out that there is a difference in the test methods," Umar said.

"I think good communication between PMI and related hospitals is needed to avoid misunderstanding that can trigger public dispute," Umar added.

In Bandung, Advent Hospital spokesman Bredly Sampouw explained on Wednesday that from September to October this year a total of 12 blood bags were returned to PMI after testing positive for dangerous viruses, among them HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C.

"We use the pesona test for rechecking the blood since it is about 50 percent more sensitive to these kind of viruses."

It costs Rp 110,000 per blood bag to recheck the blood, he said. "The fee does not include a Rp 75,000 charge from PMI as an extra charge for each blood bag," he added. (25/edt)