Hep C campaigner to sit on blood board

THE woman who formed an organisation to represent women infected with hepatitis C through the anti-D blood product, has been appointed to the Board of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service.

Jane O'Brien, a former journalist and mother of two, formed the organisation Positive Action in 1994 after learning that she had been exposed to the contaminated blood product made by the Irish Blood Bank.

She is one of 70,000 women who were tested for the hepatitis C virus in 1994. Of those, 1,200 women were found to have been infected by the virus.

When she and others were stonewalled by officials in the blood bank, Ms O'Brien, with the help of the Women's Council, formed Positive Action, an organisation she chaired for the following five years.

As chairwoman she steered the organisation through campaigns for healthcare and compensation and the consequential Finlay Tribunal of Inquiry into the shortcomings of the blood bank.

She remained on as vice chairperson of the organisation between 1999 and 2001, and is part of a State expert group on hepatitis C.

Positive Action said it was very pleased that what it termed "a person of such high integrity" has been appointed to the blood bank.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney, yesterday announced the appointment of Ms O'Brien. On the same day she also announced the appointment of Dr Mary Cahill, consultant haematologist in Cork University Hospital, to the board and re-appointed Dr Helen Enright for a further three-year term.

The minister said Dr Enright's agreement to serve for a second term on the board is an indication of her commitment to this key area of blood transfusion.

"I am delighted that Ms O'Brien and Dr Cahill have agreed to accept my invitation to join the board of the IBTS and that Dr Enright has agreed to serve on it for another term.

"Ms O'Brien's background in active community involvement, together with the consultant based knowledge and expertise in the field of haematology of Doctors Cahill and Enright, should be a major contribution to the effectiveness of the board," the minister said.

"This appointment marks a new beginning, acknowledging that there is strength in forging partnerships with community leaders and in learning from the past, so as to ensure that the highest standards of excellence in transfusion medicine continue to be provided now and into the future," the minister said.