In the early 1980s, when global AIDS awareness was in its earliest stage, the company's products were not given the necessary heat treatment to destroy the HIV virus. Bayer later paid NT$2 million to each of the hemophiliac sufferers infected with HIV through tainted blood products.
Last year the Department of Health promised to give "humanitarian aid" of NT$2 million to each patient but ultimately said that individual patients were only eligible for NT$1 million.
The patients also accused the health authorities of failing to notice the deficiencies in the health products at the time.
Three of the patients' spouses have also been infected with HIV.
RSS