NH holds last hep C testing clinic Saturday

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) -- Former Exeter Hospital patients who've been asked to get tested for hepatitis C have one last chance to attend a public health clinic, though they are still free to get tested privately through their primary care doctors.

The state public health department has held numerous testing clinics for those who underwent surgery or were admitted to the intensive care unit at Exeter Hospital, where a former cardiovascular technologist has been accused of stealing drugs and contaminating needles used on patients in the cardiac catheterization lab. Thirty-two former lab patients have been diagnosed with the same strain of hepatitis C as David Kwiatkowski since the investigation began in May.

The state's final public clinic is being held Saturday in Manchester. Exeter Hospital also had a series of clinics last week.