A HAEMOPHILIAC who was infected with HIV after being given contaminated blood at an Edinburgh hospital as a teenager told an inquiry how doctors had "used and abused" him, according to testimonies published for the first time.
The “pain and suffering” of people who contracted HIV and hepatitis C from contaminated blood and blood products during the 1970s and 80s was revealed yesterday as transcripts from the Penrose Inquiry were made public. Patients and relatives of those who died had given evidence anonymously at closed hearings between March and June.
One witness, a haemophiliac using the name “Mark”, told the inquiry how he had been infected with HIV and hepatitis C after being treated at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary in 1984, when he was 13.
He said medics had kept the condition secret from him until seven years later, although medical records confirm he had been infected in 1984. He now has severe sight problems as a result of his HIV.
He said: “My life has been ruined by this scandal. To say I’m outraged is putting it lightly. I was tested on for years without my or my parents’ consent. I was used and abused by the doctors involved.
“They knew I was HIV positive and had hepatitis C but kept quiet. They’ve taken my life away from me. When they finally told me I was open-mouthed in disbelief. My world had just been smashed to pieces. I wanted to get out of the hospital as soon as possible. My life has been ruined.”
Another victim, using the name “David”, found out he was HIV positive when he was 19, years after doctors first knew about it. Also a haemophiliac, he had received treatment in Glasgow.
He said: “It is also important the medical profession recognises the mistakes of the past and that lessons are learned for future generations.”
“Elaine”, whose husband died in 1992 – six years after he was diagnosed with HIV as a result of a blood transfusion at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary – said she had been left “devastated and angry” by her loss. He had lived for two years with the infection before being told by doctors.
“This scandal has taken a soulmate, a great father and a loving grandfather from us. This should never have happened and should never be allowed to happen again,” she said.
The Penrose inquiry was set up by the Scottish Government two years ago to gather evidence on how hundreds of people in Scotland were given contaminated blood over a period of two decades.
It followed a lengthy campaign by the victims, their families, and Edinburgh legal firm, Thompsons Solicitors, who were subsequently appointed by inquiry chairman Lord Penrose to represent all transfusion and haemophiliac victims.
In a statement released yesterday, Thompsons Solicitors said the transcripts illustrated the “incredible pain and suffering” caused by the scandal and called for “no stone to be left unturned” in the quest to get answers.
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