In a shocking instance of suspected medical negligence, as many as five thalassemia children of Jharkhand’s Chaibasa town have been tested HIV-positive, following which serious questions were raised about safety procedures at a local blood bank, PTI reported.
The scandal broke out when the family of a seven-year-old child complained they were transfused with HIV-infected blood by the local blood bank. After this preliminary report, a medical probe team was set up, which later found four other thalassemia children with HIV in the same town.
Initial Case Triggers Wider Investigation
The initial child to be found with HIV had allegedly received around 25 units of blood transfusions since she initiated treatment at the blood bank. The child initially tested HIV-positive more than a week back, District Civil Surgeon Dr. Sushanto Majhee said.
Dr. Majhee admitted that even though priority is being given to the blood bank, other aspects, like “exposure to contaminated needles,” may also cause the infections.
Irregularities Detected In Sadar Hospital Blood Bank
The five-member investigation team, headed by Jharkhand’s Director of Health Services Dr. Dinesh Kumar, proceeded at once to conduct an inspection of the blood bank and pediatric intensive care unit of Sadar hospital.
Dr. Kumar said that the first phase of inquiry suggests a serious lapse in protocol.
“Primary inquiry shows that infected blood was transfused to a patient suffering from thalassemia,” Kumar was quoted as saying. He said “some discrepancies were found in the blood bank during the investigation, and the concerned officials have been asked to settle them.”
The West Singhbhum district, where Chaibasa is situated, has 56 registered patients of thalassemia and 515 reported cases of HIV-positive.
Understanding Thalassemia
Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder in which the body lacks enough hemoglobin, a critical protein found in red blood cells. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains that this leads to dysfunctional red blood cells with a reduced lifespan.
Those with serious thalassemia frequently need to have regular blood transfusions as part of their required treatment.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
