Contaminated blood scandal: "debt of recognition to the victims"



[ad_1]

Multimedia playback is not supported on your device

Legend of the mediaInfected blood was "another death sentence"

Wales "owes a lot to those who campaigned against the tainted blood scandal," said the health minister.

Vaughan Gething said that there was a "real sense of embarrbadment" that this happened in the NHS.

But it was important for people to hear about the human cost and the fact that the problem was not addressed early enough.

Victims and their families testify for a second day at a public inquiry held in Cardiff in the United Kingdom.

Patients contracted HIV or hepatitis because of contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s, resulting in the death of about 2,400 people in the UK.

There are at least 300 victims from Wales, but it took 35 years before the British government accepted a public inquiry led by a former high court judge.

This has been taking evidence sessions across the UK.

The first day in Cardiff, the widows of two victims and a man who had contracted hepatitis contaminated with tainted blood but spoke publicly for the first time in 34 years.

Geraint Jones, of Pontardawe, in Swansea Valley, received infected blood during a transfusion in 1990 after losing his leg in a forklift accident at work. He died in 2012.

His wife Karisa told the investigation: "He suffered and he suffered so much, he was only a skeleton of man.

"I've never seen such a horrible death in my life."

Legend

Gerald Stone testified on Monday about the affected blood that affected his life, while the widows of Geraint Jones and Lee Sparkes describe the loss of their husband.

Mr. Gething said, "The best way to honor our debt of gratitude is to solve the problems we face today, learn from the investigation and its recommendations, and then be able to demonstrate in a visible way. the changes we've made, the people of today and those who are not here but who rely on our services for the future. "

He said the blood transfusion service was much safer now, but the victims had to close their doors and families had good reason to be angry.

He said the tenacity of the activists and the lessons learned would enhance the security of the NHS.

Legend

Vaughan Gething promises to follow up on the recommendations of the investigation

The Welsh government has promised to take the recommendations seriously.

Plaid Cymru's spokesman for health, Rhun ap Iorwerth, said the injustice was "scary" and that he had such admiration for voters who did not give in.

"I've heard incredibly disturbing stories, people who have experienced the shame of being affected by HIV and hepatitis C without any fault on their part." And then, they had to fight to get answers. "

He added that the government should not wait until the end of the investigation to ensure that families receive fair and equal support, and that the UK government bears the costs. .

But he said the Welsh government could take steps to help in the meantime.

Multimedia playback is not supported on your device

Legend of the mediaJennifer Hutchinson was diagnosed with hepatitis C 34 years after receiving tainted blood

Conservative health spokeswoman Angela Burns said she "showed the system at its absolute worst" and that the Welsh government should adopt the "unqualified" recommendations.

Concealment, as well as health effects, caused a "mbadive injury". She added that all governments must "take charge" so that everyone has the support and compensation they need.

Woman giving blood

Getty Images

Blood donations in Wales

In numbers

  • 350whole blood donations needed every day

  • 98,000blood cells collected a year

  • 12,500platelet units per year

  • 70%of blood needed for patients with medical conditions

  • 25% for patients who lose blood after an accident

  • 5%for mothers who have lost blood in layers

Welsh blood service

The blood supply chain of the UK is now one of the safest in the world. Donors are selected and each unit of blood collected is rigorously tested to detect a number of infectious diseases before it is transmitted to hospitals.

The Welsh Blood Service meets in approximately 400 different locations across the country.

[ad_2]
Source link