Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2002. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2002. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Reuters NewMedia - Thursday November 14, 2002
The former chief of staff of a regional hospital said he had been trying to shelter the patient by not telling him in 1993 he was infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The doctor discovered the infection during an operation.
But the court ruled he had shirked his duty and handed down a seven-month suspended sentence.
The patient was admitted again five years later, this time suffering from AIDS. The case caused a scandal when it emerged in 1999, causing three doctors to quit.
Prosecutors charged the chief of staff and another doctor of grievous bodily harm and other crimes, but the other doctor was cleared because the court found he did not have a direct obligation to treat the patient.
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