In a deeply concerning development, five children undergoing treatment for thalassemia in Chaibasa, Jharkhand, have been diagnosed with HIV. This unfortunate situation has arisen amidst allegations of contaminated blood being transfused at a local blood bank.
The alarm was raised when the family of a 7-year-old child reported that their son had allegedly received HIV-infected blood. This prompted the formation of a medical team to investigate the source of the contamination. During their inquiry, it was discovered that four other children with thalassemia in the same town had also tested positive for HIV.
According to initial reports, the first child diagnosed with HIV had received approximately 25 units of blood since becoming a regular visitor to the blood bank. District Civil Surgeon Dr. Sushanto Majhee confirmed that the child had tested positive for HIV over a week ago. Dr. Majhee also noted that other potential factors, such as exposure through contaminated needles, could contribute to HIV transmission.
Blood Bank Under Scrutiny
The five-member investigation team, headed by Jharkhand’s Director of Health Services, Dr. Dinesh Kumar, has begun a thorough inspection of the Sadar hospital’s blood bank and the pediatric intensive care unit. They are also gathering information from the affected children and their families.
Dr. Kumar stated that preliminary findings suggest that contaminated blood was indeed transfused to a thalassemia patient. “Initial investigation indicates that contaminated blood was transfused to a thalassemia patient. Some discrepancies were detected in the blood bank during the probe, and the officials concerned have been directed to resolve them,” he was quoted as saying.
West Singhbhum district in Jharkhand currently has 515 reported HIV-positive cases and 56 patients with thalassemia.
The investigation team includes Dr. Shipra Das, Dr. S S Paswan, Dr. Bhagat, District Civil Surgeon Dr. Sushanto Majhee, Dr. Shivcharan Hansda, and Dr. Minu Kumari.
Understanding Thalassemia
Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder where the body does not produce enough hemoglobin, a vital protein in red blood cells. This leads to red blood cells not functioning correctly and having a shorter lifespan, resulting in fewer healthy red blood cells in circulation. Individuals with severe forms of thalassemia often require regular blood transfusions to manage their condition.