Four persons have tested positive for HIV after they were transfused blood allegedly at a Government-run hospital in Assam, sparking off serious protests by civil society groups and organisations.
Interestingly, the matter came to light on the World Blood Donor Day on Friday. All four of them claimed they received blood from one Jehirul Islam, a professional donor, at the civil hospital in Mangoldoi.
Assam CM Tarun Gogoi has ordered a probe to be carried out by the Additional Chief Secretary PP Verma and asked him to submit the report within next one month. Besides, the State Health department had also rushed a team of experts to the hospital to take stock of the situation.
“If what is being reported is true, then this is a very serious matter,” said the Chief Minister.
Narrating the incident one of the victims said that he was suffering from fever and cough. Subsequent medical examinations confirmed that he tested positive for HIV. He claimed he had received blood from Islam in December last year. Three others, whom he knew and who received blood from Islam in the past, also tested positive.
One of them alleged that he was forced to buy blood from Islam by hospital authorities. “I was suffering from malina and required blood. So, I arranged a donor but the hospital authorities forced me to buy blood from Islam,” he alleged.
Islam, however, said he had donated blood at the hospital on four occasions. “I donated blood on four occasions and every time my blood was tested,” he said, adding that the hospital authorities carried out all the tests that are mandatory before any blood transfusion and they had never told me that I am an HIV positive.
Neither the senior doctors of the hospital nor the Deputy Commissioner of the Darrang district, under whose jurisdiction the hospital falls, were available for comments.
A doctor at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, however, said that HIV-positive people or those suffering from Hepatitis B and C, malaria, cancer and syphilis cannot donate blood. “It is mandatory to test every unit of blood for these diseases. If we find any unit to be infected, it is immediately discarded,” he said.