Blood scandal - Drugs firms must be held responsible

THE anger expressed by the Irish Haemophilia Society (IHS) because of apparent Government indolence is very understandable.

Four years ago it gave a commitment to determine the feasibility of legally chasing the international pharmaceutical companies which generated tainted blood products which caused hepatitis C and HIV infections.

To date, 87 people in this country have died because they were given contaminated clotting agents.