The Lindsay Tribunal has been told that the Blood Transfusion Service was "in denial" about the infection of haemophiliacs with HIV from clotting agents made by Pelican House. Dr Emer Lawlor, the blood bank's expert witness, said she was told in 1991 that Irish clotting agents had not infected haemophiliacs with HIV, even though it was known years earlier that they had.
It is now known that seven haemophiliacs contracted HIV from Irish-made blood products; five of those who were infected have died. The issue came to light in mid-1986 when clear evidence suggested that an Irish clotting agent, used by a minority of haemophiliacs here, was responsible. According to the blood bank's Chief Executive Officer, Ted Keyes, he was aware of the fact and believed he informed the Board of the matter.
The Consultant Haematologist, Dr Terry Walsh, also knew the facts. However by the time he became Chief Medical Consultant, it has been suggested, he went into denial. Dr Emer Lawlor today told the Tribunal that Dr Walsh informed her in 1991 that Irish blood products did not infect haemophiliacs with HIV. The Tribunal has already heard about the secretive manner in which Pelican House dealt with HIV.
The few references to the unfolding crises in the Board's minutes were described by Counsel for the Tribunal as "coy" and "coded". Senior Pelican House officers have already accepted at the Tribunal that they gave inaccurate briefings to the media in the 1980s. Now, according the Dr Lawlor's evidence, it extended a stage further with employees of Pelican House not being told of the fact that Irish blood products infected haemophiliacs.
The Tribunal also heard today that the Blood Transfusion Service could not account for what happened to three units of blood and components made between 1983 and 1985. They were produced from blood given by people whose later donations were found to be HIV positive, and so the earlier units were deemed to have a very high risk of carrying HIV. Three other units were located, one of which infected a woman with HIV. There is no evidence, however, to suggest that the missing units caused further infection.
