A probe in Chaibasa finds five thalassaemia children tested HIV-positive after suspected contaminated blood transfusions; health team inspects local blood bank and officials launch investigation.
Five Thalassaemia Children in Chaibasa Test HIV-Positive After Blood Transfusions
A medical probe in Jharkhand Chaibasa has detected five thalassaemia children testing HIV-positive, sparking alarm among parents and health authorities and prompting an urgent investigation into the town’s blood-transfusion practices. The discovery followed a family complaint that a seven-year-old thalassaemia patient had received HIV-infected blood, leading the state health department to send a five-member medical team to Sadar Hospital, Chaibasa.
The inspection, led by the director of health services, found “discrepancies” at the local blood bank and noted that around 25 units of blood had been transfused to the child since treatment began. Authorities say initial findings indicate contaminated blood may have been used, and officials have been directed to resolve irregularities as the probe continues.
District health officials confirmed that the child first tested HIV-positive more than a week earlier, and subsequent screening identified four more thalassaemia patients with reactive results. The medical team examined the pediatric intensive care unit and blood-bank records and gathered clinical data from children undergoing treatment. Investigators are mapping transfusion histories and sending samples for confirmatory tests as per standard HIV-screening protocols.
