6 Jiangsu patients infected with HIV through blood transfusion (中文)
Ten years ago they came to Tongshan County in Jiangsu Province. Their spouses were ill and were receiving blood transfusions at the local hospital, and contracted HIV. Nowadays they are searching for a way to speak up for their rights.
Tongshan Health Bureau Director Zu Guilan arrived in the capital the same day. Facing these AIDS patients is also painful for him. He says Shao Qin and the others were infected in the time before the government issued Methods for Blood Donation; he says, "They are what's left behind of a problem in our society's history."
On June 20th of this year, Tongshan County government came out publicly with a plan to make reparations, but it still fell very short of the demands of AIDS patients. Some big disagreements have occurred between people like Shao Qin and the government as they try to settle what's left over of this problem in their history.
10 years ago: a lively army of blood donors
30-something Shao Qin is one of the six more outspoken people. On July 15th, in an underground hotel near Chongwenmen, she told of her own experience. She was frequently reminded by her fellow villagers: "Lower your voice a little;" they were worried that the hotel owner would know that they had AIDS and wouldn't let them stay in the hotel.
It wasn't until Shao Qin's husband tested positive for HIV in 2004 at Xuzhou Kuangwu Department Hospital that he recalled the blood transfusion he had had eight years earlier. At that time, Mr Shao Qin in a fit of irrationality had swallowed some pesticides, and he was taken to Taishan Township Public Health Clinic. After his stomach had been pumped, the clinic required that he be given a blood transfusion. Shao Qin says that year, living in the low-roofed houses across from the hospital was a army of blood donors. They would usually sit on the steps at the entrance of the hospital waiting for business, and when the doctor encountered a patient that needed a blood transfusion, he would go straight to the hospital entrance and shout, "Someone needs a transfusion."
"One skinny one, and one fat one," Shao Qin remembers clearly. After one phone call from the doctor, two male blood sellers were hurried into the hospital. Without having doing any testing, the doctor put their blood into Shao Qin's body. Shao Qin found out later that the doctor that had advised her to do the blood transfusion had gotten a 50RMB "introduction" fee out of it.
The blood given to Chen Qiang's (a pseudonym) wife and Zhang Xia (also a pseudonym) was also supplied by this group of donators. In the following years, they each discovered that they had been infected with HIV.
"This group of donors was giving blood to five or six hospitals." On the evening of July 16th, the Wu Qiao Public Health Clinic Director Chen Hong said that other than the hospital that should have been getting the blood, they were also responsible for providing blood for Wu Qiao, Dan Ji, and 5 or 6 other hospitals besides. The directors and physicians at those hospitals all knew the phone number of the group's leader, Zhao Shizheng.
Tongshan County Grievance Department Vice-director Zhao Yong said at present there are 10-20 people in Tongshan County who have been infected through blood transfusions. Among those affected are also family members of town government officials and of the directors and doctors at the hospital.
The leader of the donor group, Zhao Shizheng, also contracted HIV and died of AIDS in 2000. The 30 or so people in the group also began to die and the group fell apart.
Court rejects AIDS lawsuits
Only 3 months after Shao Qin's husband diagnosis of AIDS was confirmed, he passed away. Afterwards, Shao Qin went many times to Da Xu's Taishan Public Health Clinic to demand compensation, and met with a great deal of conflict.
In August of 2006, Taishan Health Clinic signed a written statement with Shao Qin agreeing that they would pay her a one-time compensation fee of 10,000 RMB in installments. Although Shao Qin signed her name to this agreement, she was not at all satisfied. "Back then we had no money. We spent more than 80,000 RMB for my husband to see the doctor. I myself am infected and could become sick at any time."
Tongshan County Liuquan township villager Hua Sheng's (pseudonym) wife was also infected through transfusion. in 2006 he lodged a complaint against Liu Quan Township Public Health Clinic at Tong Shan County Peoples' Court.
The case was halfway tried, and then the court notified him that they wouldn't be continuing the hearing. With regards to this, part of the Tong Shan Court Emergency Response Report Regarding the Hearing of AIDS Lawsuits stated; "In accordance with higher authority, cases related to AIDS will no longer be given a hearing, and those already having hearings will not be continued. The cases will be resolved using the funds already earmarked by the government."
Government's unsatisfactory compensation
On June 20, 2007, Tong Shan County started delivering compensation for these AIDS patients. Regarding the resolution of these cases the County government AIDS Prevention Small Working Group Office has issued a compensation standard for "those who have evidentiary proof that in the past they or their spouse or child was infected with HIV as a result of a blood transfusion or blood products from a health care organization in this county."
This document will guarantee all HIV/AIDS patients and their family members just the lowest level of social security available for rural residents. AIDS patients and HIV patients will enjoy 600RMB and 300RMB living stipend per person per month, respectively. AIDS patients will receive a one time grant of 50,000-100,000RMB, and AIDS and HIV patients are given a sympathy gift of 1,000RMB and 300RMB, respectively, at Spring Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival.
Who is to solve this historical problem?
"The standard stipulated by the county is considered to be the highest standard in the country; the Ministry of Health also says this has become human nature." Tongshan County Health Bureau Director Zu Guilan says this money is all disbursed from the government's finances, and that it can't sustainably give any money above and beyond that. "Only when the central government comes out with the appropriate policies."
Tongshan County Grievance Department deputy director Zhao Yong says that when you add it all up, it's not a small amount of money; it adequately addresses their fear of any disturbances. "County government officials only get 1000 RMB per month."
Qinghua University AIDS research expert Professor Jing Jun says he believes that because prior to 1998 people were infected because of the hospitals, the government should be the one to pick up the bill. But it should not all be done through the central government, otherwise this will let slip the direct responsibility of the people in the local sites.
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