Preliminary laboratory test conducted on units of blood alleged to be infected with HIV and Syphilis at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), is negative.
The Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay and Rapid Plasma Reagin tests were conducted on the blood samples in the presence of police, officials of the National AIDS Control Programme and a man who alleged his mother was issued with the supposed blood infected with HIV and Syphilis.
Nhyira FM’s Ohemeng Tawiah who also witnessed the first test of the samples reported of a tense atmosphere during the over two-hour period that the samples were taken to the lab.
CID taking over
The blood samples which are in the custody of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), are being sent to Accra for further testing under the watch of the National AIDS Control Programme, Food and Drugs Authority, complainant, police and other officials of the Ministry of Health.
The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in the Ashanti Region took over investigations into the case following a Facebook post by Addo-Kwabla Evans on Friday, in which he accused the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital of selling blood infected with HIV and Syphilis to his sick mum.
It follows a screening of the blood by Kean Medical Center, a private health facility in Kumasi.
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Independent tests
Angry Mr. Addo-Kwabla had initially refused to hand over two units of blood to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital insisting he will only do so if the test would be conducted at an independent laboratory.
After several hours of discussions with managers of the blood bank on Saturday, he agreed to involve the police. He told Regional Crime Officer, ACP Peter Baba, he was no longer interested in following up on the case when asked to give a statement to the police.
Upon a second thought, he gave a statement and handed over the two units of blood kept in a container in his car to the police.
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Sounding apologetic, Mr. Addo-Kwabla told the police chief that his Facebook post on the issue was done out of emotions.
It is not clear how long the additional test to be conducted in Accra will last before the final result would be determined.