80 AIDS sufferers demand compensation from Hubei hospital
- Source: Global Times
- [17:06 January 20 2010]
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The Wuhan Morning Post reported Wednesday that Daye Second Hospital in Wuhan, Hubei Province could not afford to compensate more than 80 AIDS patients who were infected with HIV due to blood transfusions in the hospital from 1996 to 1997. The compensation demands range from 100,000 to 190,000 yuan ($14,647-$27,830).
One of the victims, Zhang Kai, tells the story about his infection.
On March 28, 1997, Zhang was seriously injured in a car accident. He then was sent to Daye Second Hospital and received blood transfusions several times.
His diagnosis for AIDS was not found until September 11, 2009 when he suddenly slipped into coma and was diagnosed with lung infection in a Wuhan medical clinic. Knowing Zhang had blood transfusions in Daye Second Hospital, the doctors ran blood tests on him, which confirmed he had been living with AIDS for 12 years.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Wuhan confirmed that Zhang’s infection was caused by blood transfusions in Daye Second Hospital 12 years ago.
Zhang and his family’s life have changed dramatically since news spread about his infection. He is jobless and his neighbors avoid any contact with his family even though they were told AIDS can only be infected by blood transfusion, sex and mother-to-child transmission.
Since discovering his AIDS diagnosis last September, Zhang and his wife began to negotiate with the hospital, asking for 100,000 yuan ($14,645) in compensation, monthly subsidies and free treatment. However, because many others are demanding financial compensation like Zhang, no agreement has been reached.
Xu Chunyang, vice president of the hospital admitted that 80 people were infected with AIDS because of blood transfusions at the hospital.
Xu also said the hospital had borrowed more than 8 million yuan ($1.17million) to compensate the patients and the hospital is in serious financial difficulty. Since 2003, its doctors didn’t have any pay raises.
A doctor surnamed Zhan who has worked at the hospital for 20 years confirmed that his salary has been 1,000 yuan per month for seven years.
The local government is now involved in Zhang’s compensation case and investigators will go to the hospital Wednesday afternoon.
Zhang Lin, vice president of local publicity department said the government is highly concerned about AIDS patients and it will help the patients and their families to solve the compensation problem.
