Singapore Health Ministry sets up independent committee to investigate infections of Hepatitis C

An independent committee has been set up by Singapore's Health Minister Gan Kim Yong to investigate the 22 cases of infections of Hepatitis C at Singapore General Hospital (SGH), which was disclosed on Tuesday.

Gan, who was "deeply concerned" by the infection, said late Tuesday that he was told of the incident at the end of last month. He then set up an independent committee to provide a critical review of SGH's investigation and findings. The committee is expected to complete the review in two months.

Twenty-two patients have been diagnosed with the Hepatitis C virus at SGH from April to September, four have died possibly from the disease. Tests of the infected patients, who are from 24 years to 70 years old, showed that they were infected with a virus of the same genotype, which indicated that they were infected from the same source. SGH so far was not able to track the source, although Professor Fong Kok Yong, chairman of SGH's medical board, said the virus might have been transmitted through multi-dose vials.

SPH has been contacting the 411 patients who had been admitted to the renal ward during the first half of this year. The hospital said it will pay for all necessary treatments, with two of the infected patients each been paid 90,000 Singapore dollars (62,937 U.S. dollars) for the new anti-viral drugs. Endi