HIV-positive boy awarded RM500,000 by court

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KUALA LUMPUR — A Malaysian court awarded RM500,000 to an eight-year-old boy who was infected in utero with HIV by his mother after a tainted blood transfusion at a public hospital in 1994, a report said Saturday.

Mohamad Hanis Saidi's mother, Rohidi Ahmad, died of AIDS on September 18.

Mohamad and his father Saidi Ahmad, 41, sued hospital officials for negligence for the contaminated transfusion that infected Rohidi with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, while she was pregnant with Mohamad, the New Straits Times newspaper reported.

'You are sick, son'

"At least there is some kind of compensation for the boy," Saidi was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

Saidi said his son does not know he is suffering from HIV. "He is taking his medicine every day and when he asks why, I just tell him that he is sick."



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