The Ipoh High Court today ordered a local medical centre to pay RM896,000 in damages after it was found to have supplied one unit of blood that had been tainted with HIV virus.

Berita Harian reported that Kinta Medical Centre (KMC) had supplied the tainted blood that was used for a man treated at Hospital Fatimah, Ipoh, in May 2005. He is now 27 and suffering from HIV.

Judge Samsudin Hassan found KMC had committed negligence.

He ordered KMC to pay general damages of RM750,000 and special damages of RM96,000. It was also ordered to pay costs of RM50,000.

Based on the testimony of witnesses, Samsuddin said the man was moved from Hospital Seri Manjung to Hospital Fatimah on May 22, 2005, after he was involved in a road accident.

In receiving treatment for four days, he had received three units of blood.

A blood test conducted on Nov 30, 2005, confirmed that he was HIV positive and his mother in April 2006 lodged a complaint with the Health Department.

A special committee set up by the Health Ministry to investigate the matter had found that one unit of blood supplied by KMC and used by the man was tainted with HIV.