Four children become HIV positive after receiving blood from blood bank; one dies

MUMBAI: Four children, who received blood from a blood bank in Maharashtra, became HIV positive. One of the children died. The horrific incident took place in Nagpur. Sources said that the children received blood as part of the treatment for Thalassemia.

Taking the matter into consideration, the state health department set up a high-level inquiry. Maharashtra Health Minister said that stern action will be taken against the culprits.

The doctor treating these patients said tainted blood was supplied to patients. "The children were tested during treatment and found HIV infected. Allegedly, they were infected with HIV and Hepatitis B after the contaminated blood was given to them by the blood bank. It is necessary to have NAT test of blood given to the children suffering from Thalassemia, but due to non-availability of this facility in the blood bank, the children became victims of HIV infection," said Dr. Vicky Rughwani.