Patients receive organs from HIV-positive donor

Two prestigious hospitals in Taiwan have been hit by a HIV-organ donor scandal.

The National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) and Cheng Kung University Hospital transplanted the organs to five patients despite the donor being tested positive for HIV.

One female patient received a heart from a 38-year-old man – surnamed Chiu, who fell from a ladder last Tuesday.

Four others were given his liver, lung and two kidneys. All the transplants were conducted the day after his death.

All the patients are now being treated with anti-viral drugs.

The incident also caused panic among the 47 medical staf, who performed the surgeries, as they are afraid they may have also contracted HIV.

Lab staff carrying out a blood test found Chiu positive for HIV and had informed the transplant departments of the two hospitals over the phone, but the message was wrongly relayed.

The Taipei Prosecutors Office assigned a prosecutor with a medical background to investigate the case.

It is learnt Chiu's mother, who contacted NTUH over the organ donation after her son’s death, had no idea of his health condition.