By Lee Kyung-min
The number of patients infected with hepatitis C after receiving intravenous injections at the Hanyang Orthopedics Clinic in Wonju, Gangwon Province has doubled in just ten days, health authorities said Friday.
According to the Wonju Community Health Center, Friday, of 1,888 patients tested, 217 were confirmed to have the disease, up 102 from 115 on Feb. 10.
They were among the 15,433 patients suspected of getting the infection after receiving injections, including some receiving platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy that relieves pain in the back, neck and other parts of the body. The doctor is suspected of re-using disposable syringes, the center said.
Of the 217, only 199 received PRP there, but the remaining 18 did not, indicating the cause or means of infection is still uncertain, the center added.
Police in Wonju seized the PRP equipment that is suspected of having been used by the clinic, as part of their investigation into medical malpractice.
Nurses and staffers involved in PRP treatment, who have worked at the clinic since 2006, were questioned, the center added.
Police said the number of people who sought PRP treatment there soared up to April last year, after patients who had received it recommended the clinic.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety rejected the use of PRP therapy due to safety and efficacy concerns in 2012.
Meanwhile, in a separate report by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), of 1,672 patients who received intravenous injections at Dana Clinic in Yangcheon, southwest Seoul, 97 people had contracted hepatitis C as of Feb. 1.
After additional tests some were also found to be infected with hepatitis B, the KCDC added.
Of 97 patients, 51 were infected with hepatitis C 1a, which tends to have a higher relapse rate than other variants of the disease, and is expensive to treat.
The KCDC added that the 230 people who remain untested are strongly advised to go to the nearest hospital immediately for a test.
Pending at the National Assembly is a revision to the Medical Practice Law that will allow for the revoking of the license of doctors, or impose a five-year prison term and 20 million won fine, if they are found responsible for irrevocable damage to patients after reusing disposable medical equipment.
The number of patients infected with hepatitis C after receiving intravenous injections at the Hanyang Orthopedics Clinic in Wonju, Gangwon Province has doubled in just ten days, health authorities said Friday.
According to the Wonju Community Health Center, Friday, of 1,888 patients tested, 217 were confirmed to have the disease, up 102 from 115 on Feb. 10.
They were among the 15,433 patients suspected of getting the infection after receiving injections, including some receiving platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy that relieves pain in the back, neck and other parts of the body. The doctor is suspected of re-using disposable syringes, the center said.
Of the 217, only 199 received PRP there, but the remaining 18 did not, indicating the cause or means of infection is still uncertain, the center added.
Police in Wonju seized the PRP equipment that is suspected of having been used by the clinic, as part of their investigation into medical malpractice.
Nurses and staffers involved in PRP treatment, who have worked at the clinic since 2006, were questioned, the center added.
Police said the number of people who sought PRP treatment there soared up to April last year, after patients who had received it recommended the clinic.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety rejected the use of PRP therapy due to safety and efficacy concerns in 2012.
Meanwhile, in a separate report by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), of 1,672 patients who received intravenous injections at Dana Clinic in Yangcheon, southwest Seoul, 97 people had contracted hepatitis C as of Feb. 1.
After additional tests some were also found to be infected with hepatitis B, the KCDC added.
Of 97 patients, 51 were infected with hepatitis C 1a, which tends to have a higher relapse rate than other variants of the disease, and is expensive to treat.
The KCDC added that the 230 people who remain untested are strongly advised to go to the nearest hospital immediately for a test.
Pending at the National Assembly is a revision to the Medical Practice Law that will allow for the revoking of the license of doctors, or impose a five-year prison term and 20 million won fine, if they are found responsible for irrevocable damage to patients after reusing disposable medical equipment.
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