The recent end of the UK health workers’ strike and the challenges that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will face in his administration include but are not limited to, economics and inflation. A nearly forgotten case swept through Britain, finally pushing Sunak to apologize publicly.
The event in question is the “infected blood scandal” that took place in the 1980s, a disaster that, according to the data presented in the video, the health authorities sought to hush up, killing many.
An inquiry that needs to be answered is: What is the Infected Blood Scandal all about?
A new report has established that more than 30,000 people got transfused blood with HIV and hepatitis viruses. Despite this, the Infected Blood Inquiry established that infected blood was used to cater to patients who needed transfusions due to blood disorders, accidents, or surgery between the 1970s and 1990s.
The report claims that over 3,000 people have perished from the infections, and the death toll may rise. This has been widely referred to as the worst treatment scandal in the United Kingdom’s healthcare history.
Sunak’s response and mitigation measures
In response to the report’s revelations, the UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak, apologized to the House of Commons, saying that it was a day of shame for the British state. He agreed with the report’s findings that those in power and authority had for decades failed to prevent the further spread of these deadly diseases.
Sunak unveiled compensation packages to be extended to the victims of the sad incident to mitigate the loss. It has been estimated that the total compensation might hit the British government to over 10 billion pounds (about 12 billion dollars.)
This case of infected blood has highlighted the need for greater transparency and accountability in healthcare facilities. The government must now take the necessary measures to prevent such an incident in the United Kingdom.
