A child undergoing treatment for burn injuries at Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) has tested HIV positive after being given contaminated blood at the hospital, claim the parents.
The boy, who is three-and-half years old, had suffered 40% burns and was admitted to GMCH in April, 2015. He was kept there for more than five months. During that time, he underwent multiple blood transfusions as the injuries were quite serious and could have claimed his life.
The GMCH immediately ordered an inquiry after the matter came to light on Monday.
“Both me and my husband are HIV negative. Then, how could our baby tested HIV positive? My son underwent six blood transfusions at GMCH. When he tested positive for HIV, we told the hospital authorities that he received blood at GMCH. But they asked us to keep quiet,” said the boy’s mother.
The boy’s family is from Hajo, about 35 km from Guwahati. The family is yet to lodge a police complaint.
B K Bezbaruah, the superintendent of GMCH, told that the institute carefully examines every blood sample. He said he had no idea how the incident happened. “We are investigating the matter and an inquiry has been ordered. The child was admitted to the hospital in a serious condition last April. He had suffered 40% burn injuries and was kept at the hospital for more than five months. But after this, the patient and his family didn’t come for treatment,” said Bezbaruah.
He added that the child had multiple wounds even after surgeries and it is possible that he came into contact with someone who is HIV positive after that. “After more than five months of treatment at GMCH, the patient and his parents didn’t come to the hospital for some time. It could be during this time that the child contracted HIV from someone who was already infected,” said Bezbaruah.
Poor thing! And scary incident. Could happen to anyone because medical services are needed by everybody. The guilty should be brought to book and compensation paid to the family as well.
In April, the boy was again admitted to the GMCH and was found HIV positive during a routine test, officials at the hospital said. The child is on ART treatment.
The tragic incident is a grim reminder of the June, 2013 incident when five persons were given contaminated blood at the Mangaldai Civil Hospital in Assam’s Darrang district.
Who is responsible for this? Comment and share your views…..
[Prepared By Animesh Vats]
Assam hospital gives baby HIV transfusion! added by Newsnet Intern on
View all posts by Newsnet Intern →
Doesn’t your article clearly say that the medical authorities are responsible and the chaps in charge of the blood banks? The blood bank must have run out of HIV reagent,so they just did not run the test! Commonplace in sarkari hospitals.
But it is the duty of the hospitals to keep an eye on the equipment that whether it is available or not. It is easy to say that these incidents are common in sarkari hospitals but that’s not correct. More than half population of India depends on government hospitals for their treatment because of lack of money.