Five people unknowingly received organs from an HIV-positive man in Taiwan due to "human error" at the hospital. All the organ receivers have so far tested HIV-negative, a media report said on Friday.
On August 24, a team of doctors at Taiwan University Hospital removed organs from a man pronounced brain dead. His heart, liver, one lung, and both kidneys were surgically removed and transplanted to five patients after a lab official said HIV test results were ‘non-reactive’.
Later it discovered the donor was HIV-positive, the Shanghai Daily reported.
The hospital announced on Thursday that the five patients have tested HIV-negative.
All five will, however, continue to be receive HIV-preventive medicine and will remain under observation for at least six months. The hospital will bear their medical expenses.
The patient who received the lung was still under intensive care and the kidney recipient also remains hospitalised. The other three have been discharged, a hospital official said.
Health authorities released an investigation report, saying there were human errors in the case. The hospital staff were notified about the HIV test result via telephone, without any proper confirmation.
The hospital will be fined around $16,000. The head of the organ transplant team, who resigned earlier this month, will face punishment as well.