Saudi health officials fired over HIV tainted blood

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health fired seven senior officials after a 13-year old girl was given HIV tainted blood in a transfusion, Saudi Gazette reported.

Those terminated include the director general, the medical director, the directors of the laboratory and blood bank and the technical supervisor of a blood bank at Jazan General Hospital, the newspaper reported.

A fine of SAR10,000 (US$2,666) was imposed on the director and the technical supervisor of the blood bank, the newspaper said.

The coordinator of the AIDS programme and the director of labs and blood banks in the Directorate General of Health Affairs in Jazan were also fired, while the license of the lab technician, directly involved in the tainted blood transfusion, was revoked, the newspaper reported, citing the ministry.

Reham al-Hakami, who suffers from sickle-cell anemia, was given the HIV tainted blood in a transfusion last week at Jazan General Hospital, the newspaper reported. She has been receiving transfusions for her illness since she was eight.