CHENNAI: There were uproarious scenes at Stanley Medical College and Hospital on Thursday, with families of 20 patients , who reportedly contracted hepatitis C virus after undergoing dialysis there, protested, saying the dialysis machine was contaminated.

The patients were awaiting renal transplants but were shocked when told on Wednesday that they were not eligible as they had the virus. The patients said they got the infection from the hospital’s dialysis machine. Hospital officials said it was common for people with renal problems to get infected by hepatitis and that they were not responsible.

Karthikeyan, 42, of Kumbakonam, visited the hospital three months ago with kidney failure and was declared eligible for transplant. Fifteen days ago he returned to start dialysis. “His blood tests were normal till August 13 but after the dialysis a day later, he tested positive for hepatitis. We are devastated,” said Tilakavathy, who had agreed to donate her kidney to her husband.

Shanthi of Padappai, whose son Mani Shankar, 15, was among the patients waiting for a transplant, said the boy had kidney problems since he was a baby. “We were hopeful about a transplant but now he is infected,” she said.

Dean Dr A L Meenakshi Sundaram said hepatitis C is common among people with renal failure. “We put them on anti-viral therapy to ready them for the transplants and we send their blood samples to the labs. We pick up the collective results only after a month so the numbers may look high,” he said. The patients will be treated for the infection at the hospital and undergo kidney transplants once they are fit, he said.

Senior nephrologist Dr Georgy Abraham said it was possible for patients to contract infections from a dialysis machine if it is not sterilised properly after each session. He said a viral count test would provide more accurate results.

