CHENNAI: The State Government on Monday informed the Madras High Court that a decision had been taken to disburse RS 3 lakh as interim compensation within a week to 16 patients who were infected few months ago with Hepatitis-C virus (HCV) in Government Stanley Hospital while undergoing dialysis.

State health secretary J Radhakrishnan, made the submission on a PIL moved by Jayaram Venkatesan of Mylapore, seeking a directive to the State Health Department to provide special free treatment as a priority to all the affected persons, award adequate compensation to them and also to constitute an Expert Committee to find out why HCV spread in the hospital.

When the petition came up for hearing on Monday before the First Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice T S Sivagnanam, the health secretary who appeared in person said, “Decision has been taken to disburse RS 3 lakh as interim compensation and the needful will be done within a week.”

“The report of the Expert Committee which consists of three eminent doctors is now available,” the health secretary added.

Radhakrishnan agreed to put the panel’s recommendations in the public domain, and invite suggestions, as directed by the court.

Recording his submission, the Bench directed that the report should be put in the public domain within a week and giving four weeks time for suggestions.

Suggesting that Dr Muthusethupathy be included as a fourth member to the committee, the Bench directed that the four-member committee shall scrutinise the suggestions received, if any.

“We clarify that the matter to be examined would be infection protection programme, not necessarily confined to only Nephrology (the branch of medicine that deals with kidneys), in order to improve the public health care system,” the Bench added. Directing the authorities to examine raising the interim compensation to two persons who died of infection, the Bench posted the matter for hearing to September 21.

Total recall

? 16 patients getting ready for kidney transplant contracted Hepatitis C after undergoing dialysis at the Government Stanley Medical Hospital in August 2014

? The patients contracted the virus allegedly due to  the hospital not following the infection control mechanisms

? Madras High Court in April this year directed the State Government to pay adequate interim compensation to the affected

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