Jharkhand: Five children with thalassemia test HIV-positive in Chaibasa, probe ordered

Five children suffering from thalassemia and undergoing blood transfusions in Jharkhand’s Chaibasa have tested positive for the human immunodeficiency virus, PTI reported on Saturday.

The infections were detected during an investigation by a five-member medical team from Ranchi, which was sent after the family of a seven-year-old thalassemia patient alleged that the Sadar Hospital blood bank in Chaibasa had supplied HIV-infected blood for a transfusion.

Following the complaint, the Jharkhand Health Department constituted a medical team to determine how the infected blood was administered. During their inquiry, they discovered that four more children had tested positive for HIV.

District Civil Surgeon Sushanto Majhee confirmed that the seven-year-old patient had tested HIV-positive over a week ago. He added that while contaminated blood could be one cause, exposure to infected needles or other sources could not be ruled out at this stage.

However, Dinesh Kumar, the director of Jharkhand’s health services, who is heading the probe team, said that “initial investigation indicates that contaminated blood was transfused to a thalassemia patient”.

“Some discrepancies were detected in the blood bank during the probe, and officials have been directed to address them immediately,” PTI quoted Dinesh Kumar as saying.

Deputy Commissioner Chandan Kumar said that the authorities are working to “to trace the database of blood donors, and to verify...

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