79.6 F
Cruz Bay
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesMISSING ST. JOHN HIV TEST SPECIMENS FOUND

MISSING ST. JOHN HIV TEST SPECIMENS FOUND

Feb. 3, 2004 – Government House announced in a release late Tuesday afternoon that the HIV test specimens from St. John that disappeared last summer at the HIV clinic on St. Thomas have been found, but it provided no details and said that none will be forthcoming while an investigation into the matter is under way.
The release said that Darlene Carty, acting Health commissioner, received a report from someone within the Health Department's HIV/STD/TB program on Jan. 28 that the missing samples, the subject of an investigation by the V.I. Office of Inspector General last fall, "had been located."
Carty took possession of the box containing the specimens and then turned it over to the chief inspector of the Office of Inspector General, the release said. "The box and its contents are currently in the custody of the Inspector General," and his office "has initiated an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the box," it said.
The release cited Carty as saying that "to ensure the integrity of this investigation, further details cannot be disclosed. The department shall report to the public when the circumstances so permit."
In December, the V.I. Inspector General's Office issued a report of its earlier investigation into the disappearance of the samples and related confidential information from 22 persons. (See "Human error cited in missing HIV test samples".)
According to the report, investigators traced the transport of the samples, obtained on June 28 at a Coral Bay site, to the Westin Resort, where a nurse practitioner in charge of the materials stayed before returning to the HIV clinic on St. Thomas. The last time anyone reported seeing the samples at the clinic was on July 2, the day before it closed for the Emancipation Day-Independence Day holidays. On July 11, during a confrontation involving members of the clinic staff, it became public knowledge that the samples were missing, the report said.
Tuesday's release said that the Health Department is working with the Inspector General's Office to ascertain information and "determine if legal action is warranted."
Carty expressed her regret to the persons whose samples went missing and to the public in general and said steps have been taken to see that such a thing does not occur again.

Back Talk

Share your reaction to this news with other Source readers. Please include headline, your name, and the city and state/country or island where you reside.

Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Keeping our community informed is our top priority.
If you have a news tip to share, please call or text us at 340-228-8784.

Support local + independent journalism in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unlike many news organizations, we haven't put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as accessible as we can. Our independent journalism costs time, money and hard work to keep you informed, but we do it because we believe that it matters. We know that informed communities are empowered ones. If you appreciate our reporting and want to help make our future more secure, please consider donating.