Health scare follows 'fake doctors' blood test

Kalasin provincial public health office will provide a fresh series of HIV blood tests for 148 students from Khammuang Industrial and Community Education College after it was found that fake doctors used the same needle in early tests on all the students.

Meanwhile, provincial public health officials at Tak yesterday insisted that in a similar case, fake doctors had not used a single needle for blood tests on students from Mae Sot Industrial and Community Education College.

Kalasin Governor Somsak Suwannasujarit set up a remedial centre at Kham Muang Hospital after the so-called "doctors" performed the blood tests - for which they charged each student Bt100 (S$4) - at the college's June 12 annual health check.

The centre provided a blood test for HIV and so far none of the 148 who took the test have proved positive.

They were advised to take another test at the centre on September 28.

Somsak assigned a committee to look into the case within one week while another committee will probe the Bt100 fee collected from each student.

The incident upset many parents, who have called for college executives to take responsibility and might call for their sacking.

Dr Patjuban Hemhongsa, chief medical officer for Tak province, said there was no evidence to confirm the group of fake doctors there had used only one needle for blood testing of many students.

However, no one could tell them in detail about how these impostors had performed the test or whether the needles were reused.

He said he had instructed his officials to conduct an investigation into the blood tests on the students from Mae Sot Industrial and Community Education College.

The unconfirmed reports of the reused needles had caused public concern over the possibility of HIV infection.