DRAMATIC evidence was given by a former BTSB employee which would turn the theory of patient X's plasma being responsible for infected anti D on its head.
Dr Stephen O'Sullivan, a biochemist and immunologist who worked in the BTSB between 1973 and 1979, said the reason for the infection was the transfer of plasma from one fridge to another.
Plasma used in the manufacture of anti D from the protein fractionation unit had been moved, he said, to the hepatitis testing laboratory.
It appears that he "rocked the boat" in Pelican House by complaining of this breach of guidelines and was rebuked. However, he said this incident was later accepted as the source of infection by the senior staff.
Mr John Rogers SC, for Positive Action and the McCole family, asked Dr O'Sullivan on a number of occasions if he was sure of his evidence. It was "not tenable and not sustained in any way by the evidence available", said Mr Rogers.
"Are you serious?" asked Mr Rogers at one stage.
"Quite serious," Dr O'Sullivan said.
The reason for the infection has been believed to be the use of plasma from patient X to make anti D after the patient had suffered hepatitis C.
Yesterday, the tribunal heard how the BTSB was informed on a number of occasions of adverse reaction from women to this anti D in 1977. One of those, according to Dr O'Sullivan, was when the Master of the Rotunda Hospital "sent word" there was an adverse reaction from patients to anti D.
Earlier, two more GPs told of patients who became ill with jaundice in 1977 and how they linked it to anti D and contacted the BTSB. This brings to six, so far, the number of women from a wide geographical area in Dublin that the board was informed about. However, the expert group was told there were only four women involved in a limited geographical area of north Dublin.
Evidence was also heard of how the board chose to go it alone, despite international developments on the safer manufacture of anti D.
A German expert, Prof Hans Hoppe, said if there were doubts about any donor they should be have been removed from the programme immediately and their stock withdrawn.