PRI’s ‘The World’ Examines Case of Bulgarian Health Care Workers Convicted of Allegedly Infecting Libyan Children With HIV
There is "little optimism" among Bulgarians that Libya's Supreme Court next week will rule in favor of five Bulgarian health care workers sentenced to death for allegedly infecting about 400 children with HIV, and some Bulgarians doubt that the international community is "fully on their side," "The World" -- a co-production of BBC World Service, PRI and WGBH Boston -- reports (Brunwasser, "The World," PRI, 11/10). The nurses, along with a Palestinian physician, were sentenced to death by firing squad in May 2004 for allegedly infecting the children through contaminated blood products. They also were ordered to pay a total of $1 million to the families of the HIV-positive children. Many HIV/AIDS experts say that the infections likely are the result of the Libyan Health Ministry's failure to screen blood products adequately and poor sterilization practices at Al Fateh Children's Hospital in Benghazi, Libya, where the children were infected. Libya's Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case on Nov. 15 (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 11/3). Many Bulgarians "seem resigned to Bulgaria's inability to do anything about it" because of the country's small size and relative lack of power. The segment includes comments from Ognyan Minchev, executive director of the Institute for Regional and International Studies in Sofia, Bulgaria; the mother of one of the nurses sentenced to death; and Bulgarian residents ("The World," PRI, 11/10).
The complete segment is available online in Windows Media.