Las Vegas Sun

November 21, 2009

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Hepatitis C hotline available

The Southern Nevada Health District has set up a hotline to help thousands of patients who may have been exposed to hepatitis or HIV at a Las Vegas clinic.

Health officials said on Wednesday that an estimated 40,000 people who visited the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada at 700 Shadow Lane between March 2004 and Jan. 11 may have been exposed to the diseases when practitioners reused syringes to administer medications.

So far, state and local health officials have confirmed that six people have contracted hepatitis C after they underwent procedures requiring anesthesia at the clinic.

Health officials say that contacting the thousands of patients who had procedures at the clinic is the largest notification of its kind in U.S. history.

The health district's hotline is (702) 759-4636.

More information is available at the Southern Nevada Health District Web site .

See today's story.

Discussion: 5 comments so far...

  1. My comment is; Since the Endoscopy put me (plus 39,999 others) at risk. Why will they not set up somewhere to go have the tests done. Why should I have to go to my PCP then pay copay for the lab works too. I am uninsured at this time plus since they are responsible shouldn't they perform the tests free of charge? I called the hotline and they said it is our own responibility to get the tests done..from a very upset person!

  2. MAKE THE DATES MORE CLEAR:

    ANYONE who visited the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada at 700 Shadow Lane
    BETWEEN MARCH 2004 AND JAN. 11 2008..GET TESTED.

    What i want to know is how such a thing is possible. I mean using clean syringes...come on even the local tattoo shop knows to do that.

  3. I am out raged about this I am one of the 40,000 people I also have Lupus and now have to live in fear that I have Hep This is not our responsiblity to pay or even the insurance companys should not have to pay for this. I am fortunate I have insurance but I and everyone else who has been exposed should not have to have this worry. This not only affects us who were exposed but it affect the family too. We try to stay healthy and then we have to worry about going to a clinic and being killed this is like a mass murder everyone should be fired and the clinic should be closed down. I am not going to keep my mouth shut about this I am intrested in having a support group someone said they wanted to start one will I am for it.

  4. We need your help! Want to make a difference? Reform is needed at all levels to prevent further Hep C outbreaks from occuring!

    Join HONOReform (www.honoreform.org)- a non-profit foundation that advocates for patient safety, justice and compassion at both the state and national level. It was formed in response to hepatitis outbreaks caused by reuse of syringes and other types of substandard care in private physicians' offices in Nebraska, Oklahoma, New York, Michigan, and now Nevada. Through the outbreaks, thousands of people suffered because of deficiencies in our medical, legal and disaster response systems. The mission of HONOReform is to promote the lessons of the outbreaks so that these tragedies will never happen again.

    Join our advocacy team today!

  5. People need to know that there are safe, effective alternatives to the Brain Damage you will get when the doctor prescribe the "treatment" that earns 10k or more as a "gift" from the pharmaceutical company.

    google Hep C Solutions for more info

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