China arrest over tainted blood
 

Police in China have arrested the head of a hospital where 64 people were infected with hepatitis C after being given transfusions of tainted blood.

Li Changhe is being held on suspicion of illegally collecting and providing blood at the hospital in south-west Guizhou province, state media reported.

The contamination was discovered last year when a patient tested positive for the potentially deadly liver disease.

The source was a donor who had sold blood to the hospital.

Compensation

Staff at the People's Hospital of Pingtang County traced the infected blood to Li Cailing, 43, who had sold some 20 litres (42 pints) of blood between 1998 to 2002.

Tests carried out on her last October showed that she was a hepatitis C carrier.

The hospital then tracked down all the patients on their records that had been treated with Ms Li's blood. Sixty-four people were found to be infected.

Police are questioning Li Changhe, who was the head of the hospital at the time of the contamination.

Under Chinese law, county-level hospitals are prohibited from taking and providing blood for transfusion.

More than 1.6m yuan ($238,000; £160,000) in compensation is to be paid to affected patients, the official Xinhua news agency reported, citing county government officials.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7979251.stm