Minister of Health Alvaro Erazo of Chile
pd_top('Story','html40','27700910','Chile says 512 may be infected in HIV scandal','Chile\'s public health system may have failed to notify at least 512 people that they were infected with the HIV virus, Health Minister Alvaro Erazo said amid a growing scandal.
Appearing before Chile's Lower House of Congress, Erazo said public health system records could not confirm that some 244 people infected with the virus had been informed, despite efforts to the contrary.
yahooBuzzArticleSummary = "Chile's public health system may have failed to notify at least 512 people that they were infected with the HIV virus, Health Minister Alvaro Erazo said Thursday amid a mushrooming AIDS scandal.
Erazo denied that since the investigation was launched, people were notified in a manner that violated patient confidentiality, as protected by the countrys 2001 law on HIV/AIDS.
Erazo was summoned to Congress to explain after the scandal forced his predecessor to resign.
The government has said that it is making a concerted effort to inform people who have tested HIV-positive of their status, and Erazo said that it will be done in as confidential a manner as possible.
Government Minister Francisco Vidal said Erazo is working to prevent a similar situation from occurring in the future.
Erazo said it would be done with the most confidentiality possible.
Alvaro Erazo said that in 244 cases, the infected people were not located by health officials.
Erazo said that in Chile there are 9,901 people infected with HIV, of which 6,407 are being treated.
Appearing before the Lower House of Congress, Erazo said health records could not confirm that some 244 people infected with the virus were informed, despite efforts to the contrary.
Erazo was summoned before Congress to give a report on the notificationproblems.
Chile's public health system may have failed to notify at least 512 people that they were infected with the HIV virus, Health Minister Alvaro Erazo said on Thursday amid a mushrooming AIDS scandal in Chile.