Rishi Sunak apologises over infected blood scandal, calls it a 'day of shame'

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday (Ma 20) offered an unequivocal apology to thousands of citizens who were at one time infected by contaminated blood in a decades-long scandal which was covered up.

More than 30,000 people in the United Kingdom were infected with viruses like hepatitisand HIV after they were transfused the taintedblood between the 1970s and early 1990s, as per the Infected Blood Inquiry.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

The people who became victims of the blood scandal were those who needed blood transfusions in surgeries or after accidents, as well as those who suffered from blood disorders like haemophilia and werebeing treatedwith donated blood plasma products.

Also Read:UK infected blood scandal: Bombshell report points out ‘catastrophic’ failures, and cover-up

Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in what was said to be thebiggesttreatment disaster in the state-run National HealthService's(NHS) history.

Here'swhat Rishi Sunak said

Speaking to the House of Commons, Sunak said,"I am truly sorry."

He called thefindings of the report"a day of shame for the British state".

"Time andagainpeople in positions of power and trust had the chance to stop the transmission of those infections and failed to do so," Sunak added, as he promised"whatever it costs"will be compensated to the victims.

“This is a day of shame for the British state.Today’sreport shows a decades-long moral failure at the heart of our national life – from the NationalHealthService to the civil service to ministers in successive governments at every level – that people and institutions in which we place our trust failed in the most harrowing and devastating way,"Sunak said.

“This is an apology from the state – toevery single personimpacted by this scandal. It did not have to be this way; it should never have been this way.And on behalf of this and every government stretching back to the 1970s, I am truly sorry,"he added.

The ministersareyet to announce how much compensationpayment willbe madeto the victims and their families.

What did the report reveal?

The 2,500-page report laid bare a"catalogue of failures"with"catastrophic"consequences for those who becamevictims of the scandal.

Watch:UK infected blood scandal: NHS, Government covered up infected blood scandal, says Report

It was reportedthat in a few cases, children with bleeding disorderswere treatedas"objects for research".

"Ihave to report that it could largely, though not entirely, have been avoided,"said its author and judgeBrianLangstaff.

As per the report, blood donorswere notproperlyscreenedandthe officials imported the blood products from abroad, which included the UnitedStateswhere they used drug users and prisoners for donations.

The report stated that too many transfusions whichwere not necessarily neededalso took place.

Attemptswerealsomadeto conceal the scandalwhichalso includedevidence that the healthdepartment'sofficials destroyed documents in 1993.

(With inputs from agencies)