10 PCT OF BLOOD OF DON0RS CONTAMINATED WITH HIV/AIDS

Karawang, Apr 22 (ANTARA) - Some 10 percent of the blood from voluntary donors taken by the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) in Karawang, West Java, last year had been contaminated with HIV/AIDS.

This became apparent after PMI has accepted tens of thousands of blood donors. But PMI had immediately destroyed the HIV/AIDS tained blood by burning in Jakarta, chairperson of the Karawang Narcotic Board (BNK) Eli Amalia Priatna said here Tuesday.
She said however that fortunately, the volume of sterile blood was much larger than that of the HIV/AIDS tainted one.
The 900 bottles of sterile blood for Karawang is now in safe keeping with the local PMI office.
The number of people with HIV/AIDS in Karawang last year reached 616, but 60 of them had succumbed to the incurable disease.
Eli, who is also Karawang deputy regent, said most of the people with HIV/AIDS in the area in Karawang had contracted the fatal disease after using syringes which had been repeatedly used by several persons, and only some through sexual intercourse.