Bogus HIV testing kits endanger Indians: World Bank

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Bogus HIV testing kits endanger Indians: World Bank

IANS, Friday, July 06, 2007

KOLKATA: A noted India-born AIDS researcher in the US says that

defective or sub-standard medical kits supplied by the government's

National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) for testing HIV in

different blood banks and hospitals in India has put a large number

of Indians at serious health risk.

Kunal Saha, the researcher based in Columbus, Ohio, was appointed by

the World Bank to investigate allegations of sub-standard HIV testing

kits being distributed in India.

Now he is all set to expose the scam after having obtained permission

from the bank to go public with the findings about " the bogus HIV

testing kits supplied by NACO and used by hospitals across India, "

Saha said.

Saha and other members of the World Bank team discovered that that

there was " fraud " in distribution of HIV testing kits that has put

Indian patients in serious danger of contracting AIDS from

contaminated blood, he said.

Saha is known for his crusade against the medical fraternity in India

after his wife's death from alleged wrong treatment. He has now got a

nod from Ana Palacio, senior vice-president of the World Bank, to go

public with potentially damaging information about distribution of

dud HIV testing kits in India.

" In a letter, the World Bank has informed me that they have no

intention to restrict me from my ethical obligation (as a medical

doctor) 'to safeguard public health' in India, " Saha told from

Columbus Friday.

" The obligations imposed by the confidentiality agreement are

intended to preclude improper disclosure of information obtained in

the course of your work; however, they are not intended to restrict

your ability to comply with your ethical obligations as a medical

doctor to safeguard public health, " Palacio wrote.

" I am extremely happy that the World Bank has finally agreed to give

me the green signal to go ahead with my findings. "

A team from the Department of Institutional Integrity (INT) of the

World Bank came to India in March-April 2007 to investigate

allegations of corruption in the distribution of HIV testing kits in

different parts of India. Saha came with the World Bank team as a

medical consultant from the US.

Two other doctors from India were also in the World Bank team, which

visited a number of hospitals and blood banks across India, including

several major centres in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. The final

World Bank report is yet to be released formally.

World Bank funds a substantial portion of India's battle against

HIV/AIDS.

Upon his return to the US, Saha wrote to Wolfowitz, then

president of the World Bank, about the discovery by the team.

" Since I was under a 'confidentiality agreement' with the World Bank,

I sought special permission from Wolfowitz so that I could go public

with the information about the sub-standard HIV testing kits which

has jeopardised the lives of innocent patients without violating the

confidentiality agreement with the Bank, " Saha said.

" I plan to hold a video press conference in New Delhi from the US to

come out with what we have found, " Saha said.

In West Bengal, a huge dud HIV testing kit scam was exposed in

October 2006, pointing fingers at senior health officials.

Monozyme India, a Secunderabad-based company, has been charged with

supplying expired blood test kits in West Bengal over a period of two

years. Health workers fear that thousands of people across the state

might have received contaminated blood, which was tested with kits

whose expiry dates had been tampered with.

Saha is known for his ongoing legal battle against several eminent

Kolkata doctors for the death of his wife, Anuradha Saha, from

alleged " medical negligence " when the couple came to India for a

social visit in 1998.

Saha has formed " People for Better Treatment " (PBT), a humanitarian

society to help the victims of medical negligence and promote better

healthcare in India.

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