Survivors, next-of-kin of victims to give evidence

The Lindsay tribunal will today hear further personal testimony from haemophiliacs who were infected with HIV and hepatitis C through contaminated blood products in the State.

Six surviving haemophiliacs are due to give evidence in the coming days along with the next-of-kin of eight victims who have since died and the parents of a number of children with hepatitis C. It is the second time the tribunal will hear such personal testimony.

On the first occasion, last May, 30 people, including 11 haemophiliacs, gave evidence. One of them, Mr John Berry, a married man from Athy, Co Kildare, who contracted hepatitis C from a contaminated factor 8 blood product, has since died.

The Irish Haemophilia Society argued successfully for victims to be afforded the opportunity to speak at the outset of the tribunal as many were in the latter stages of their illnesses.

Since the previous personal testimony was given, the tribunal has covered the bulk of the first two phases of its inquiry, focusing on the Blood Transfusion Service Board's response to the HIV and hepatitis C crises in the 1980s and the timeliness of its screening, testing and look-back programmes.

Dr Terry Walsh's evidence on the second phase was due to have concluded yesterday. However, the BTSB's legal team said it wished to cross-examine the former Pelican House consultant haematologist on a number of specific issues next week once it had an opportunity to take instructions.

Crucially, however, counsel for the BTSB, Mr Michael McGrath, said it had no further questions regarding the controversial BTSB board meeting of September 20th, 1989.

Dr Walsh stated last week he had recommended at the meeting that the board should initiate a look-back programme to see what happened to previous donations given by blood donors who had tested positive for HIV after testing was introduced in October 1985. Dr Walsh said his advice was rejected, however, and that he was told "in rather dramatic terms that I was overstating my case" and to "stop causing scares".

The BTSB has already conceded that a look-back should have taken place at the time, if not earlier. It would now appear the agency does not contest Dr Walsh's account of events either.

Had a look-back taken place, the BTSB would have discovered a HIV-positive donor had given blood which was transfused into a Kilkenny-based nurse in July 1985. The married woman went 10 years without knowing she was infected and discovered the fact independently of the BTSB in December 1996.

The look-back issue is of interest to the haemophilia community too as the absence of one helped to disguise the source of a number of infections, particularly the infection of seven haemophilia B patients with HIV through Pelican House factor 9.