CHP's Kılıç had brought it to the agenda: Statement from Kızılay regarding blood donation and HIV allegations!

CHP İzmir Deputy Sevda Erdan Kılıç announced that they had reached information suggesting that the HIV virus was transmitted to 3 patients due to blood provided by Kızılay to certain hospitals in İzmir.

The Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) issued a statement regarding Kılıç's claim, which has become a major topic of discussion.

In the written statement made by Kızılay, it was stated that the death of 13-year-old A.E.K. in İzmir due to AIDS has deeply saddened everyone.

Pointing out that the Ministry of Health's investigations into how HIV was transmitted to the 13-year-old child who died of AIDS in İzmir are ongoing, the statement noted the following:

"Following baseless allegations that the virus was transmitted through blood provided by Kızılay, which in no way reflect the truth, the following statement has become necessary. The father of 13-year-old A.E.K., who is the subject of the allegation and who was treated in İzmir with a suspicion of osteoporosis but was later found to have AIDS, K.K., applied to the Atapark Blood Donation Center in the Milas district of Muğla in January 2024 to become a blood donor for the first time. After the blood sample taken from K.K. was subjected to all tests, including the NAT (Nucleic Acid Amplification Test) for safe blood supply, it was understood that he was HIV positive; the relevant health and law enforcement units were immediately informed, the blood was destroyed, and father K.K. was placed on Kızılay's rejection list. The institution that first diagnosed the father with HIV and alerted all state units is Kızılay."

The statement emphasized that since 2020, no notification has been made to hospitals or health authorities regarding any blood component carrying an HIV risk from regional blood centers, and likewise, no such notification has reached Kızılay from hospitals.

Emphasizing that the Turkish Red Crescent carries out all processes meticulously in line with its responsibility to protect public health during the blood donation process and that modern tests in accordance with international standards are applied to every donated blood component, the statement noted the following:

"All blood components provided by the Turkish Red Crescent are subjected to advanced screening and verification tests for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV, and Syphilis. If an infection risk is detected in the tests, blood donation is not accepted from the donor and these blood units are strictly not sent to hospitals. While fulfilling its duty of providing regular and safe blood supply completely, Kızılay meets the blood needs of approximately 9 million patients and injured people with approximately 3 million units of blood it receives annually.

The damage that irresponsible and ambiguous statements will cause to this national duty carried out by Kızılay and to the patients and injured people waiting for blood donation is beyond any explanation. We call on all relevant institutions, organizations, and individuals to be sensitive, and we declare that we are following the matter in every aspect."