Man sues health departments for being mistakenly diagnosed with HIV

A man in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, who was mistakenly diagnosed with HIV in 2008, filed a civil lawsuit against both the municipal and provincial health departments on December 5, 2017, thepaper.cn reported Thursday.

Zhong Xiaowei [Photo: thepaper.cn]

Zhong Xiaowei was diagnosed as HIV positive during a premarital examination in Chengdu in 2009. The diagnosis was confirmed by the Sichuan Province Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Zhong did not doubt the result as he had a history of using drugs.

After suffering no symptoms of AIDS in the last seven years, Zhong took another test on December 15, 2015, and the result was negative. This result was confirmed by Jinniu District Center for Disease Control and Prevention in January 2016.

However, Zhong's original blood samples are still held at the provincial center and were confirmed as positive during a second test.

The Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention said that it is only responsible for providing a correct result for the blood sample, and takes no responsibility for whose sample it is.

According to the Chengdu Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, due to the inability of HIV antibodies to change from positive to negative, the first blood sample does not belong to Zhong. They expressed deep regret and hoped that Zhong can resolve the matter through legal proceedings.

Zhong filed a civil lawsuit against both the municipal and provincial centers on December 5, 2017, accompanied by two lawyers who are acting pro bono as Zhong has financial difficulties.

The two departments have reportedly started the legal process in regards to this issue, but neither was willing to reveal information and Zhong has received no contact from either, according to thepaper.cn.