240 blood banks in Peru have been closed by officials after at least four people were infected with HIV from blood transfusions in a public hospital. Carlos Vallejos, Health Minister has said the blood banks will be inspected by a commission that will include officials from the World Health Organisation.
A Health Ministry investigation has found that Judith Rivera, a 44-year-old mother of four, was infected with the virus after receiving blood transfusions during an operation for a tumor in April at a state hospital in Callao.
Carlos Vallejos has confirmed three other cases, including that of an 11-month-old infant, all at the same hospital. A 17 year old boy also claims to have been infected after receiving a transfusion at the hospital. This claim has yet to be confirmed by the ministry.
Jose Cruz is an adviser on blood and laboratory safety for the Washington-based Panamerican Health Organisation. He has called the state of Peru’s blood banks “worrying”.
He also said that Peru, along with Bolivia, Colombia and Mexico are on the organisation’s list of countries that fail to perform preliminary disease screening on all blood collected in blood banks.
It has been estimated that out of Peru’s 27 million inhabitants a shocking 93,000 are HIV positive.
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