Kyrgyz medics jailed in HIV cases

A court in Kyrgyzstan has convicted nine medical workers for infecting 24 children with HIV - the virus that causes Aids - local media have said.

The doctors and nurses, all from one hospital, were sentenced to between three and five years for causing the infections through negligence.

They have also been ordered to pay compensation to the victims' families.

The medics said poor hygiene and equipment at the hospital were to blame for the infections.

Another four medical workers were found not guilty and charges against another were dropped.

More than 70 children have been infected with HIV in the region since last year, with four deaths reported.

The outbreak has shocked the Central Asian republic and deepened public concern over conditions in hospitals and the quality of health workers.

The former Soviet republic has struggled to fund its healthcare system since the break-up of the USSR.

There have been similar cases in neighbouring countries. Last year, 21 medical workers in Kazakhstan were sentenced to prison terms for infecting 150 children with HIV.