Honduran Court Orders Government to Pay Damages to Woman Infected With HIV Through Blood Transfusion
According to a court official, a Honduran court has ordered the government to pay $740,000 in damages to a woman who was infected with HIV through a blood transfusion at a public hospital, Reuters reports. Maria Juarez was diagnosed with AIDS in 1998 after previously receiving six blood transfusions following an operation to remove an abdominal tumor at a state hospital. Although 75 Hondurans have contracted HIV through blood transfusions, the ruling marks the first time the state has been ordered to pay damages. A health ministry representative was not available to comment on the ruling, but, according to the court official, the government can appeal the verdict. About 17,000 Hondurans have HIV/AIDS, accounting for about 60% of all registered cases in Central America (Reuters, 4/3).
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