Benghazi, 5 April 2013:
A group of 25 militiamen, reported to be members of Ansar Al-Sharia, forced their way into the laboratory . . .[restrict]testing centre of Benghazi Medical Centre (BMC) yesterday morning, Thursday. They claimed that there were out of date materials on the premises.
Orthopedic specialist at the centre, Dr Salem Naqqi, said that staff and patients alike were shocked at the intrusion which forced staff to stop work and leave, according to Solidarity Press. The laboratory was closed for three hours as a result.
Naqqi was reported as saying that SSC guards had unsuccessfully tried to prevent the intruders for entering.
The militiamen reportedly found some equipment that had an expiry date of two day’s earlier – 2 April 2013. However, the doctor said these were not used on patients. In any event such materials, he noted, could be used for between six months and a year after expiry date, and the GNC’s medical committee were aware of it.
Expressed resentment at the storming of the laboratory, Naqqi said the closure had put the lives of patients in intensive care patients at risk because of delayed test results.
An incident such as this, he said, shook the public confidence in the BMC. The laboratory was a sterile environment, he added, and should never be entered, let alone stormed, by anyone without official permission. He added that it contained classified patient information which should never be compromised.
If anyone had complaints, he said, they should submit them to the professional bodies responsible who could then take necessary action.
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