The Family that claimed their member has been given contaminated blood by the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) blood bank says the investigation that cleared the hospital of any wrong doing was not transparent.
The family had accused KATH of given out blood with HIV and Syphilis to their member.
This caused a lot of panic and the Ministry of Health stepped in to form a five-member Independent Committee to investigate the issue.
The committee at a Sunday January 6, 2019, press conference announced its finding that “the blood units in question did not contain any active pathogen that could cause HIV or Syphilisâ€.
But the patient’s son has rejected the findings insisting the process to arrive at the fresh conclusion was not transparent.
“We do not associate with the results brought out by the committeeâ€, a statement signed by the complainant Evans Addo-Kwabla read.
He said the family was excluded from the process and indicated it will organize a press conference to make fresh revelations since investigations into the saga began.
Find below the full statement
PRESS RELEASE
A CALL FOR FAIR TREATMENT ON ALLEGED KATH CONTAMINATED BLOOD SAGA
The family of the patient at the Centre of the contaminated blood brouhaha would like to establish the following:
1. There was no transparency in the handling of the blood
a. complainant was denied access to join the team that took the blood away to military hospital.
b. complainant was not part of the team who took the blood to Accra and was not involved in any investigation. The only instance was a time when he was invited by police with no agenda even upon several request of what exactly the meeting was about on the Thursday (6th December) and only to find out at police quarters that he was to meet a committee from Accra. To this effect, meeting with committee was inconclusive.
2. Preliminary test that Kath claim proved negative was test done at same Kath lab.
3. We do not associate with the results brought out by the committee. (our opinion)
4. KATH has delayed in providing medical report of our patient upon legally requesting for it a month ago.
5.Kean refused to take care of patient and all institutions involved (KATH, committee, CID etc) have neglected our patient to her fate.
6.There is an interesting untold story about this blood issue we are yet to unravel through a press conference.
Signed
Evans Addo Kwabla
(Son of Patient)
for Enquiries: 0208066060
Background
ddo-Kwabla in a Facebook post had accused KATH of selling two units of blood to his mum who was receiving treatment at a private clinic in Kumasi and the blood tested positive for HIV and Syphilis.
The allegation, according to Addo-Kwabla was based on an initial screening of the blood units by the said private medical centre in Kumasi.
He alleged that the two different blood bags from the hospital tested positive for HIV and Syphilis, at a time his mother was set to be issued the blood.
He said his mother had been sick for some months and the family had sought treatment at a private facility in Kumasi called the Kean Health Centre.
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 in a radio interview with Accra based Citi FM.
Read also: KATH: Blood test negative of HIV, Syphilis after controversy