One of Taiwan's most highly regarded hospitals has apologized for mistakenly transplanting HIV-infected organs into five of their patients last Wednesday, according to the AP

The National Taiwan University Hospital claims that the error occurred when a hospital staffer misheard the donor's test results over the telephone and never double-checked his status before harvesting the organs. 

The donor was a 37-year-old man in a coma who sustained head injuries after a fall. His heart, liver, lungs and both kidneys which were transplanted to five patients after his condition wasn't improving. The donor was legally listed as an HIV carrier in Taipei.

The hospital has provided emergency anti-AIDS medications to the five patients, yet complications may arise since they are also undergoing treatment to ensure their bodies don't reject the organs. The head of the health department in the donor's city of Hsinchu decried the hospital's "appalling negligence" and said that all five patients will most likely contract HIV.

Makes you think twice about joining the new surge in medical tourism >