JEDDAH: The fate of a Saudi girl, who is about eight years old, hangs in the balance, two years after she tested positive for HIV. It is a twin tragedy for the young victim as she contracted the virus during treatment in a hospital and her court case is moving at a snail’s pace.

The girl’s lawyer, Ibrahim Al-Hakmi, has been quoted by local media that the committee appointed to probe the case has not yet taken any decision. This, despite the fact that it was confirmed by a medical team that she was infected with the deadly virus during blood transfusion at the King Fahd Hospital in Jazan, he said.

“Only two sessions on the case have been held since several months,” he said.

Al-Hakmi said the committee is embarrassed because the medical team has admitted that a mistake happened at the hospital. “The Ministry of Health has custody of all the test results which prove the child was free of HIV before the blood transfusion, according to the results of US laboratories. I have not received any copies of the results, although I am the legal representative of the girl,” he said.

There was much uproar in 2012 when news of the “medical error” broke. The then Health Minister, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabiah, had said that the medical tests conducted in the US confirmed the girl was HIV positive and that the virus. The public condemnation continued for months after the news came out, with citizens demanding a strict action against those found guilty.