Authorities in Jharkhand are alarmed as, after five children, four blood donors also tested positive for HIV. The blood samples collected from 259 donors between 2023 and 2025 are being retested after five children, suffering from thalassaemia, were tested HIV positive at Chaibasa Sadar Hospital in Jharkhand’s Chaibasa.
As per a report by Indian Express, of the total samples, 44 were tested and four donors have been HIV positive. The details were shared by the state’s Health Minister, Irfan Ansari.
These children underwent blood transfusion as a part of their thalassaemia treatment. This allegedly led to HIV infection.
Jharkhand HC Pulled Up State Government
The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday pulled up the state government for not following the standard
operating procedure for blood transfusion.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Justice Rajesh Shankar, while hearing a suo motu PIL, rapped Health Secretary Ajoy Kumar Singh, following reports that five children of Chaibasa district who underwent blood transfusion were found to be HIV positive.
The court directed the health secretary to file an affidavit and inform the bench details of blood donation camps held in government and private hospitals in the state.
The court also sought information with regards to the demand of blood in hospitals and quantity provided for by the blood banks.
The court directed the department to furnish the standard operating procedure to be formulated in terms of the National Blood Policy before the bench.
In the course of hearing, the bench ordered the government to inform it why advanced screening machines to conduct the Nucleic Acid Test (NAT) have not been installed in hospitals.
