Chile minister admits HIV failure

No efforts appear to have been made to inform 268 people of their condition

Chile's public health service may have failed to tell 512 people they had tested positive for HIV, which can lead to Aids, the health minister has said.

The government is now trying to locate the patients and inform them of their condition, said Alvaro Erazo.

He disclosed the numbers to lawmakers amid an Aids scandal which forced his predecessor to resign last month.

Maria Soledad Barria quit after it was found a hospital had not told dozens of patients they were HIV-positive.

Mr Erazo told Chile's lower house of congress on Thursday that health records showed no efforts had yet been made to inform 268 people their tests were positive.

Nor could the records confirm that efforts to inform another 244 people who tested HIV-positive had been successful.

Chile's public health service says some patients may have given false addresses.

"It is not possible to be sure that people identified in the... groups have not been informed, only that there are no records of that happening," said Mr Erazo.

"What is clear is that there are service [areas] that are not complying as they should in the follow-up and notification of these cases."