UK's Infected Blood Scam

Bini Dahal

Maintaining good health remains a priority for every individual. For the same purpose, we visit hospitals and clinics. Our belief in doctors and medical personnel is very high. And it is the same trust that makes us feel safe enough to put our lives in their hands. However, over the years, health-related malpractices seem to have occurred globally, putting people’s health at a higher risk. 

Issues like transfusion of contaminated blood have emerged as a matter of serious public concern. Currently, a very disturbing case regarding the same has erupted in Britain. A detailed report has shown that blood transformation has caused infections to more than 26,000 people. Many blood recipients had been suffering from haemophilia and other bleeding disorders. 

Among those who had received infected blood, as many as 1,250 persons were infected with HIV virus as well. And this number included 380 children. Likewise, 5,000 other people were said to have been infected with a chronic form of Hepatitis C. This situation has been termed as the UK’s major health service failure. The National Health Service (NHS), the governmental authority, is said to be the centre of all this which lasted from 1970s to 1990s.

So, for the longest time, the matter had been ignored and never acknowledged by authorities and subsequent governments. Apparently, blood had been imported from the United States and many of the donors were prisoners and drug users who had been paid to donate blood. The victims and their families were angered by the fact that no investigation had been carried out on time.  

The UK government plans to provide from 2.2 to 2.6 million pounds to those victims who suffered from HIV. The government is also preparing to give some money as compensation to the patients living with chronic Hepatitis C. The families of those who had lost their lives due to such infections are also entitled some compensation. But it is saddening to see how the government has no other way but to provide compensation to the family members and the individuals. Had this investigation been done right after the case was known to the public, people would have got justice. 

Similar situations have been reported in the United States of America (USA), Japan and France as well. Blood transfusion is essential as it helps protect the lives of people during emergencies like massive accident, complicated childbirths and also during major surgeries. 

These situations highlight that blood transfusion is susceptible to carrying infections. The main purpose of blood donation is to save the lives of the people. However, a lack of screening and negligence can bring about unwarranted situations. Because the health service sector holds the biggest responsibility to ensure protecting the lives of people, authorities and medical personnel must be very careful. 

Even a single mistake may cause a huge problem. The fact that the incident had not been investigated for this long really has worsened the situation. It questions the accountability and responsibility on the part of the state. Considering the sensitivity of this matter, blood transfusion must be done in a more careful manner. 

The concerned authorities must improve the blood donor screening process and make an effective use of different technologies and techniques to test the blood before it is transfused to patients. This case in point should be taken as a major lesson by governments around the world so that such incidents do not repeat ever again.