Blood transfusion in Bathinda: Victim’s spouse, 3-year-old daughter HIV +ve

Bathinda, August 28

The adverse effects of the HIV-infected blood given to children and a woman admitted to the Civil Hospital in Bathinda last year have started appearing as the husband and 3-year-old daughter of the woman have also tested HIV-positive.

However, the report of her 5-year-old son has come out negative. Sonu Maheshwari, president of NGO Naujawan Welfare Society, has promised justice to the family. The victim claimed the careless staff of the Civil Hospital had ruined her family. Her husband had stopped going to work after being diagnosed with the disease, which had also worsened their financial condition. She would now have to depend on medicines all her life. The family has demanded help and strict action against those who donated infected blood.

Notably, a woman was admitted to the medical ward at the hospital for loss of blood in May last year. The woman was given two units of blood. The next day, more blood was required.

A regular donor donated his blood through an NGO at the hospital but officials, without checking the blood, administered it to the patient. It was later found that the donor was HIV-positive. After an inquiry, a case was registered against three employees of the blood bank at the Civil Hospital. — TNS