Former consultant does not recall any detailed discussions on HIV dangers

A former consultant at Limerick Regional Hospital told the Lindsay tribunal yesterday that he could not recall any detailed discussions about the dangers of HIV infection at the height of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s.

Dr S.M. Basheer, who sat on the National Haemophilia Service Co-ordinating Committee between 1976 and 1986, said he believed there was discussion of the fact that it was "risky" to use certain products sourced outside the country. There was also general "mention" of AIDS.

However, as for evaluating the risks of locally-made cryoprecipitate over imported concentrates, "this discussion never took place".

Dr Basheer said his role on the committee was to act as a liaison for the Mid-Western Health Board. As he was not a haematologist, he said, he was not consulted about the purchase of products for hospitals.

Nor, he said, did he make treatment decisions for haemophiliacs. These decisions were made instead, on each occasion, by the Dublin-based National Haemophilia Treatment Centre (NHTC), following consultation. Haemophiliacs were also referred there for diagnosis.

This situation created "huge problems" as haemophiliacs had to wait in casualty while someone phoned the NHTC for advice. Documents showed that in 1980 he expressed concern to the co-ordinating committee about the lack of guidelines in casualty departments on the issue. He said to the best of his knowledge no such guidelines were produced.