NSW: Governments won't discuss blood screening until March

AAP General News (Australia)
12-23-2006
NSW: Governments won't discuss blood screening until March

The federal government says it won't intervene to bring in universal screening of blood
used in transfusions .. despite Victorian coronial investigations into two deaths involving
contaminated blood.

The government says the issue will be on the agenda when health ministers meet in March
.. but it can't be fast-tracked.

An investigation has found more than 100 incidents of bacterially contaminated platelet
transfusions affecting people since September 2004.

One 10-month-old cancer patient has permanent brain damage from a bacterial infection
contracted from contaminated blood.

He was rushed to Royal Melbourne Children's Hospital yesterday suffering complications
from the transfusion.





Victorian coroners are investigating two deaths involving contaminated blood .. but
it is not known how many blood transfusions have made people seriously ill.

Australia screens only five per cent of donated platelets .. a blood component given
mainly to cancer and trauma patients to help with clotting.

A spokeswoman for Health Minister TONY ABBOTT acknowledges he has received a petition
from a blood service to introduce universal screening.

But he says responsibility for a decision does not rest solely with Canberra.

AAP RTV sk/wz

KEYWORD: BLOOD (SYDNEY)

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