Health officials say 118 children and 14 women contracted HIV after given treatment in a hospital in the southern city of Shymkent; nine of the victims have already died, including a two-year-old HIV-infected boy who passed away Tuesday.
Delivering the judgment, the presiding judge says, "A system of corruption and illegal blood trade is flourishing in the hospitals... The children were infected because doctors were not fulfilling their functions as they should have."
The court found 21 people guilty in the case and three doctors received eight-year prison sentences terms. Four officials, including former regional head of the health department were given suspended sentences while the other convicted medical workers were sentenced to prison terms of different durations.
According to the prosecutor, corruption and negligence while dealing with medical equipments and blood transfusions are said to be the cause of the deadly and needless tragedy.
