COMMISSION TO SEND REPORT TO GOVT ON DEATH OF KIDNEY PATIENTS

ZAGREB, Oct 21 (Hina) - A Health Ministry commission of enquiry has drafted a report about the deaths of 21 kidney patients in several Croatian hospitals and it will be sent to the government on Monday, Deputy Health Minister Rajko Ostojic told Hina Sunday. He refused to disclose any details of the report, but said it contained no new information since Friday. On Friday Ostojic told a news conference that analytical and technological analyses conducted by the Croatian Public Health institute and the Croatian Toxicology Institute had established differences between suspect and control dialysers and that it was almost certain the contentious dialysers had caused the deaths. Ostojic also said that because of scarce knowledge of the exact production process, it was uncertain which substance had caused the deaths of 21 dialysed patients. A member of the commission of enquiry, Vladimir Gasparovic, told Hina today forensic experts were as yet to give their final opinion, which could be expected next week. Twenty-one patients died in eight hemodialysis centres across Croatia in the period from October 8 to 13, during, or several hours after the dialysis. (hina) lml