HIV Blood Transfusion: HC Takes Cognisance; Donor Attempts Suicide

The Madras High Court on Thursday, 27 December, took suo motu cognisance of the HIV blood transfusion incident.

The number of HIV infections through blood transfusions in India has been on the rise. 

(Photo: iStock)

As news broke out about a 23-year-old woman who was infused with HIV positive blood at a government hospital in Tamil Nadu's Sivakasi district, the teenager who donated the blood attempted suicide on Wednesday, 26 December.

The News Minute confirmed quoting police sources that the 19-year-old blood donor, a resident of Ramanathapuram district, had in fact attempted suicide on Wednesday.

The DSP said that the man’s condition was stable and that he was still being treated at the local government hospital, the report added.

Meanwhile, the Madras High Court on Thursday, 27 December, took suo motu cognisance of the incident.

A Bangalore Mirror report quoted sources as saying that a vacation bench comprising justices S Vaidyanathan and PT Asha had directed the state’s health secretary to file a status report on the incident and actions taken by 3 January.

Human Error

The pregnant woman was admitted to a hospital in Sattur after she was found to be anaemic and while she was being treated at the hospital, she was given a blood transfusion with HIV positive blood by accident.

The mishap occurred due to human error on the part of lab technician at the hospital who was responsible for screening donated blood, according to a health official.

The officials of the state health department said that the technician has been suspended.

"She immediately got a fever that night, but when we asked the doctor present there to check, we were told it is common after a transfusion and that it will go away soon. I took their word for it," said Vijayan* to The NewsMinute, regretting the trust he placed on the medical professional.

"On 5 December, when we came back home, my wife kept getting worse. In our three years of marriage I have never seen her fall ill and I couldn't understand what was happening," he recounted.

And it was only by chance that even the donor became aware of the disease he was carrying. Mahesh* was planning to travel abroad and therefore underwent a medical check-up in a Madurai hospital earlier this month.

It was then, that he came to know that he was HIV+.

Health Dept Orders Inspection of Blood Banks

After the health department officials were alerted, the donated blood was tracked down and it was found that the blood was transfused in a 23-year-old pregnant woman.

Dr Sentill Raj, IAS, had told The News Minute that the woman will be monitored and screened regularly and the officials are taking all the necessary steps.

"All efforts are being taken to contain the situation and to make sure that no one else is affected. All blood transfusions from the Sattur hospital are currently being ordered to stop. Blood will be sourced from other facilities in the meantime," Raj said.

All the government and private hospitals' blood banks in Virudhunagar district are under inspection after the order of health department. All the blood in 14 hospitals will be screened again.

(*Names changed to protect identities)