The French Health Ministry released a statement recently recalling thousands of patients who might have been wrongly diagnosed or infected at five substandard radiology clinics under the French health service. According to health experts, this is the largest recall of its type in France and has revealed major problems in the health system.

Five clinics were closed in the north of France in December 2007 after finding a number of serious problems including major malfunctions with regard to record keeping, personnel qualifications and rules of hygiene and equipment safety procedures. Geraldine Dalban-Moreynas, ministry spokeswoman said that authorities will ask most of the 7,000 patients at risk to be re-examined. She said that the vast majority are patients who may have falsely received a clean bill of health after undergoing a mammogram or chest X-ray.

Also, an undisclosed number of patients ran the risk of infection following examinations with instruments that were not sterilized. The French media reported that some of the patients may have contracted AIDS or hepatitis as a result.

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