KUALA TERENGGANU, April 18 (Bernama) -- The Health Ministry, Monday gave an assurance that all blood issued to patients had gone through various test and were free of infectious diseases.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said that among the tests carried out on donated blood before being issued to patients who needed them were for HIV, Syphilis and also Hepatitis.
"We don't issue blood to recipients directly from donors. As such patients need not worry," he told reporters after a visit to the Specialist Clinc at the Kuala Terengganu Hospital, here Monday.
Newspapers today reported that more than 200 people who had been infected by transmittable diseases including HIV, continued to donate blood in different locations, something that has got the National Blood Bank worried.
Chua also said that testing procedures in the country were among the best and most stringent in the world.
However, according to him, the ministry was surprised by the actions of the people concerned as to why they would still want to donate blood knowing fully well they had been infected.
In another development, Chua said all operation theatres in the Kuala Terengganu Hospital which had been delayed almost three years could be used form next June.
He said the operating theatres would be completed by the end of this month and another month would be needed for cleaning works and installing of equipment.
"We believe the backlogs in surgeries will be overcome once the theatres are operational," he said commenting on reports that patients had to wait some times sup to eight months as only five of the 16 surgery rooms were in operation.
This was due to the appointed contractors not being able to get the operating theatres and post-surgical care rooms costing RM7 million ready on time.
-- BERNAMA
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