Dozens of doctors and nurses suspected of being exposed to HIV while treating victims

A victim of a head-on collision between two passenger buses that killed four people in Kon Tum was taken to the hospital for emergency treatment and was found to be infected with HIV, forcing many doctors, nurses, and people who came into contact with him to undergo urgent treatment for exposure.

Scene of a traffic accident that occurred on June 30, on Ho Chi Minh Road through Dak H'ring Commune, Dak Ha District, Kon Tum Province. After the accident, many people participated in rescuing the victim - Photo: TTN

According to information from the Kon Tum Department of Health on the afternoon of July 2, in the head-on collision between two passenger buses on Ho Chi Minh Road on the afternoon of June 30 that killed 4 people, 17 medical staff and 7 residents participated in emergency treatment and patient transport and were suspected of being exposed to HIV.

Deputy Director of the Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Ministry of Health, Hoang Dinh Canh, has requested functional departments to urgently guide Kon Tum to screen and immediately provide ARV drugs to treat exposure to those involved in transporting, giving first aid, and treating this victim.

Doctor Dao Duy Khanh - Director of the Department of Health said that the department has also provided consultation, screening and free ARV drugs to treat HIV exposure immediately for those involved in the emergency cases of victims.

The Department administered prophylactic medication within 24 hours of exposure (the rule is within 72 hours) to 24 related people and monitored them for 3 months.

The Department of Health also monitors, tests, and guides the sterilization, treatment, and burial of infected people and related items.

According to Mr. Khanh, during the process of taking the victim to the emergency room and performing emergency duties, 17 doctors and 7 people had direct contact with the blood of the HIV-infected victim without preparing any protective equipment, so it is suspected that these people were exposed to HIV.

Currently, Kon Tum province and relevant agencies have visited and encouraged the people and medical staff who actively and bravely participated in rescuing the victims.

"In special cases where someone used a family car to take the victim to the emergency room, there will be timely proposals for Kon Tum province to encourage and reward them," said Mr. Khanh.

As previously reported, at around 1:00 p.m. on June 30, on Ho Chi Minh Road through Dak H'ring Commune, Dak Ha District, Kon Tum Province, a serious traffic accident occurred between two passenger vans.

A 16-seat vehicle of Dong Tien Transport Cooperative traveling from Da Nang to Kon Tum collided with a passenger vehicle of Tay Nguyen Transport Cooperative traveling in the opposite direction.

The accident resulted in two victims dying on the spot, Tran Thi Mo (51 years old) and Le Van Duc (28 years old), residing in Thanh Khe district, Da Nang city, and two others dying later at Kon Tum General Hospital on the morning of July 1.

The victims all suffered multiple injuries such as head injuries, lung injuries, kidney rupture, pericardial effusion, broken legs, etc.

According to TTO