Correction: A previous headline of this article reported that Madan Samuel was sacked after 'causing' HIV among 100 kids. This is incorrect. Samuel was sacked after using unsterilised scissors which resulted in the children being tested for or HIV, hepatitis and hepatitis C. No children were diagnosed with HIV. We are happy to clarify this.
A Tory local election candidate is a surgeon who was sacked after using unsterilised scissors and causing a HIV scare that affected more than 100 children. Madan Samuel, who is standing for election, was fired in 2011.
It was found at the time that he failed to sterilise his scissors while carrying out operations. The mistake led to 121 children being tested for HIV. The failure to sterilise the scissors occurred during surgery on March 26, 2009.
It was reported that after Dr Samuel admitted the mistake, Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge wrote to the children’s parents who had undergone tongue operations since 2004 and were offered blood tests. It is understood none of the children contacted tested positive for hepatitis, hepatitis C or HIV, GloucestershireLive reports.
Dr Samuel, who is standing for election on Cotswold District Council, confirmed to GloucestershireLive that he used unsterile scissors to perform a “minor outpatient clinical procedure tongue tie release”. “I was cleared by the General Medical Council (GMC). I never lost my licence to practise," he said.
“I subsequently worked both in the UK and abroad as a consultant surgeon for cancer patients. Currently I am retired from all clinical practice, hence I am not paying for my GMC registration to remain active."
He said he was unable to continue with clinical work for health reasons. A spokesperson for the Cotswold Conservatives said: “Madan spoke to us about this at his candidacy interview, and the fact that the GMC cleared him and allowed him to continue to practise despite this error, gave us every confidence that this was a one off and that he would be a suitable candidate. He is proving to be a very effective one.”
