October 30, 2008

Chilean Politico Quits Over Mishandling HIV Tests

Chile’s health minister is resigning amidst turmoil over the government’s failure to notify people who had tested HIV positive, The Associated Press reports. A spokesman for President Michelle Bachelet said that the president accepted Soledad Barria’s resignation on Tuesday.

According to the article, hospital officials in the northern city of Iquique failed to track down and inform patients who had tested positive for HIV. Two of those patients died due to AIDS-related complications. Legislators had been threatening to impeach Barria before she resigned.

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