Several nurses from Tanta University Hospital said they contracted the hepatitis C virus during blood transfusions at the hospital. The testimonies of these nurses were recorded for a video exclusive by Al-Masry Al-Youm.
A nurse from the endoscopy department said she has been working in this department for 14 years and contracted the virus at the beginning of her employment. She said the treatment provided by hospitals which accept her health insurance was expensive and costs approximately LE70,000. As a result, she has stopped receiving her required treatment.
The hospital administration is aware of the infected nurses, but did not ask them to leave because so many of them are infected. "I always wear gloves when dealing with children and patients in the hospital so the virus will not be transmitted to them," she said.
A nurse from the pediatrics department said the nurses only receive an infection allowance of LE15 per month. Another nurse said a hospital in Saudi Arabia refused to recruit her after she tested positive for hepatitis C.
Dr. Hamed el-Sharqawi, the hospital manager, said the infected nurses do not come into contact with patients. "If a nurse is proven to be infected, she is transferred to another department where there is no contact with patients," he said.
In the past, the infected nurses were asked to leave work, he said, but they are no longer asked to quit until the disease has reached an advanced stage.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
