The blood units from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) that were initially feared to be contaminated have tested negative for HIV and Syphilis after a preliminary test.
The Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service is leading an independent laboratory test to ascertain the veracity of an alleged contaminated blood from the blood bank of the hospital.
[contextly_sidebar id=”dZkgjSGMNWxajRcOrDrMNOBrHTYYVXOZ”]Citi News understands that three different laboratory tests will be conducted by the KATH, the National Public Health Reference Laboratory and the Criminal Investigations Department of the Police to verify the contamination claims.
The results from the test by the hospital reveal negative, and the blood packs have been sent to Accra for the rest of the tests to be conducted.
Officials from the National AIDS Control Programme, the Food and Drugs Authority, the complainant, the police and officers from the Public Health Unit of the Health Ministry, will all be present throughout the separate exercises.
The Ashanti Regional Police Command, however says the committee set up to investigate the matter will go ahead with its investigations while the independent laboratory tests are also done.
Management of KATH has declined to comment on the development for now.
Management told Citi News it will make public comment on the matter after all the laboratory tests are conducted, and the report from the committee investigating the matter is ready.
Background
Reports first emerged from social media suggesting that the blood was issued to a patient of a private clinic.
Two different blood bags from the hospital were said to have tested positive for HIV and Syphilis, according to one Adolf Addo Kwabla, whose mother was set to be issued the blood.
He told Citi News his mother had been sick for some months, and the family had sought treatment at a private facility in Kumasi called the Kean Health Center.
Without going into details, Adolf Addo said ahead of one of his mother’s appointments at the health centre, she was asked to bring along some blood.
When the blood was brought along on the day of the appointment, “they took the blood and said they were doing tests. We sat waiting and later a lady came and told us the blood we had was contaminated; both of them. One had HIV and other had Syphilis,” Adolf Addo recounted.
KATH, in a statement following the claims, said it has “a track record of stringent blood testing protocols and maintains the highest standards for blood safety.”
But it is still going ahead with the investigation to establish the veracity of the claims.
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By: Hafiz Tijani | citinewsroom.com | Ghana
