Lab Manual and Workbook in Microbiology 11th Edition by Josephine Morello ,Paul Granato,Verna Morton

Exercise 11

A Lesson Learned-Follow Proper Procedures for the Disinfection of Equipment
In June of 2009, a congressional panel was pressing the Department of Veterans Affairs to determine whether more than 10,000 veterans may have been exposed to HIV and other infections at three southeastern hospitals. The reason was that proper procedures were not followed for disinfecting the endoscopic equipment used for colonoscopies and other gastrointestinal procedures. Those patients who may have been exposed needlessly to the contaminated equipment were asked to get blood tests for HIV and hepatitis. Six veterans who received the follow-up blood checks tested positive for HIV, 34 tested positive for hepatitis C, and another 13 tested positive for hepatitis B. Hospital administrators claim that all the mistakes were due to human error.
What do you think? Human error or human carelessness?