KUWAIT CITY, Feb 19: The Court of Appeals, headed by Judge Nasr Salem Al Haid, sentenced eight expatriates – Indians and Egyptians – to 10 years in prison with hard labor for manipulating blood test results at Sabah Al-Salem Health Laboratory after receiving bribes from expatriates with infectious diseases, reports Al-Seyassah daily. Sources disclosed to the daily that three of the defendants were arrested and imprisoned, while five fled from the country.

Sources said the departments in charge of following up the affairs of expatriates in the ministries of Health and Interior, including the Residency Affairs Department, conducted investigations that led to the discovery of such irregularities. Sources revealed that the Ministry of Health received a call from the Expatriates Follow-up General Department at the Ministry of Interior regarding the issue.

Therefore, four expatriates were asked to undergo the tests again (full body checkup) – blood test for Hepatitis B and C and HIV, as well as chest X-ray at the Tuberculosis Control Unit. Two of the expatriates tested positive for Hepatitis B and the other two for Hepatitis C, while the X-ray results of all four expatriates are normal, sources added.