The laboratory responsible for the erroneous HIV tests, which resulted in patients becoming infected with the virus after organ transplants, was contracted for around R$11 million by the Government of Rio de Janeiro.
The State Department of Health of Rio de Janeiro (SES-RJ) is investigating the contamination of six patients with the AIDS virus, after receiving transplanted organs in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The information was initially broadcast by BandNews FM and confirmed by CNN .
THE CNN confirmed that the tests were carried out by the PCS Lab Saleme laboratory, which is based in Nova Iguaçu, in Baixada Fluminense.
The contract, signed by the Fundação Saúde do Rio de Janeiro in December 2023, had a duration of 12 months and a value of around R$11 million.
The agreement with Patologia Clinica Doutor Saleme Ltda was established for the company to carry out clinical and pathological anatomy analyses. The total value determined was R$ 11,479,459.07 .
In the service provision proposal, PCS Lab states that it understands “routine, urgent and emergency demand” and that it will analyze and carry out exams within the Cavalcanti and Coelho Neto Emergency Medical Care units, in the North of capital of Rio de Janeiro.
The offer mentions hundreds of procedures and, among them, are six types of HIV tests. According to SES-RJ, the contract with the company was suspended after the secretariat became aware of the case.
When accessing the laboratory’s Instagram profile, via the company’s website, the social network page is unavailable this Friday (11).
“The Secretariat is carrying out a screening with the reevaluation of all stored blood samples from donors, starting from December 2023, the date of hiring the laboratory”, explains SES-RJ in a note.
In the early afternoon of today (11), police officers from the Consumer Police Station (Decon) were present at the laboratory’s headquarters, in Nova Iguaçu.
Wanted by CNN PCS Lab Saleme has not yet taken a position on the case. The space remains open for clarifications.
Understand the case
CNN confirmed that six patients contracted the HIV virus after undergoing organ transplants in Rio de Janeiro.
Two donors reportedly underwent a blood test in a private laboratory in Baixada Fluminense and the results were false negative.
According to the CNN those infected are already aware and the organs of another 288 donors are undergoing new testing in the state.
This is an unprecedented situation in Brazil. In the state of Rio de Janeiro alone, 16 thousand people have undergone transplants since 2006.
In a note sent to CNN SES-RJ reported that a multidisciplinary committee was created to welcome affected patients.
The RJ Civil Police reported that it is investigating the case, after opening an investigation, determined by the Secretary of State for Civil Police, delegate Felipe Curi.
THE CNN contacted the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) and the Public Ministry of Rio de Janeiro (MPRJ), which did not take a position until the publication of this report.
(With information from Carol Figueiredo and Thomaz Coelho)
This content was originally published in Laboratory that failed HIV tests was hired for R$ 11 million by the government of RJ on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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