The vigilance at government hospitals have unearthed the use of tainted human body parts, lifted off human cadavers in America, and used by nearly 25 UK hospitals as implants for patients. This information came to light, notwithstanding a probable breach of patient information, as matters of public interest take precedence over issues of secrecy, in keeping with the ethics of the medical field.
This is thought to be the work of a corpse-robbing gang in New York, which is stealthily lifting off body parts, tissues and ligaments, disposing them to potential buyers for their use in transplants. The New Jersey-based Biomedical Tissue Services (BTS), has 'earned' a bad name following accusations that the company has transacted nearly 82 pieces of bone to the United Kingdom, and implanted in patients needing hip or jaw surgeries.
Subsequently, The US FDA thought it befitting to mandate a recall of the contaminated products, while reassuring that the risk of patients contracting AIDS or other diseases is only minimal. The governing body for medical instruments and medicines has warned patients about the risk of contamination, though it refrained from naming the hospitals involved.
A spokeswoman for the heath watchdog said: "As with all FOI requests, each one is looked at on its own merits. A balance has to be struck between the need to preserve confidentiality and meeting the public interest. We conducted our own internal review and concluded that any danger of the identity of recipients being discoverable was slight, and that there was a public interest in releasing the information. We advised them that the infection risk was negligible, so that clinicians could decide what advice they should give to their patients."
MRHA has established contact with the following hospitals: Airedale General Hospital - Keighley; BUPA Hartswood Hospital - Brentwood; Derriford Hospital - Plymouth; Doncaster Royal Infirmary - Doncaster; Guy's Hospital - London; Mayday University Hospital - Croydon; North London Nuffield Hospital - Enfield; North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary - Stoke-on-Trent; Northern General Hospital - Sheffield; Northwick Park and St Marks Hospital - Harrow; Parkside Hospital - Wimbledon; Royal London Hospital - London; Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital - Stanmore; Scunthorpe General Hospital - Scunthorpe; Somerset Nuffield Hospital - Taunton; Southend Hospital - Southend; St George's Hospital - London; Taunton & Somerset Hospital - Taunton; Torbay Hospital - Torbay; Warrington Hospital - Warrington; Wellington Hospital - London; Wessex Nuffield Hospital - Eastleigh.
Source: Medindia
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