Viet Nam News
PHÚ THỌ — Dozens of residents of a commune in the northern province of Phú Thọ fear they might have contracted HIV after receiving allegedly contaminated injections at a private clinic.
Việt Nam Authority of HIV/AIDS Control (VAAC) under the health ministry said it had asked health authorities in Phú Thọ to verify the story as soon as possible and report back.
This morning, a working group – including health ministry officials and doctors from the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology – was sent to the scene to investigate.
Residents of Kim Thượng Commune in Tân Sơn District will receive free screening and free HIV/AIDS treatment if they test positive, Dr Hoàng Đình Cảnh, deputy head of VAAC, said.
Health authorities in Phú Thọ told the media that between February and June, the provincial General Hospital recorded two AIDS deaths, and received four new HIV cases – all six patients were from Kim Thượng Commune.
The quiet commune descended into panic as several people needed to take HIV tests, after a middle-aged female tested positive for the virus.
She said she had gone to the private residence of Dr. T, who was currently working at Tân Sơn General Hospital, to get an injection.
Rumours started circulating that Dr. T might have reused dirty needles on multiple patients, resulting in the spread of infection.
Thirty patients amongst those who have visited Dr. T for treatment have already undergone HIV testing at Tân Sơn District’s health centre.
One month later, the results were still not available while the centre asked for a second blood test, which further inflamed public suspicion that many have already contracted HIV.
“The investigation is not easy and needs a lot time. Based on our previous experience in similar incidents, it will take as long as two months to arrive at a definitive conclusion,” Dr Cảnh told Vietnam News Agency.
He was referring to a similar incident in the southern province of Bến Tre, however, in that case, health authorities were not able to give a final answer since all syringes were disposed of and there was no evidence that the doctor might have administered multiple injections with the same syringe. — VNS
