Nation

NHRC notice to Assam Chief Secretary

Express News Service

Taking suo motu cognisance of a media report that four persons had tested HIV+ after blood transfusion at Mangaldoi District Hospital in Assam, the National Human Rights Commission has issued a notice returnable in four weeks to the Chief Secretary of Assam.

The rights body also directed the Chief Secretary to inform the names of the victims/patients, status of their health and the amount of compensation, if any, being proposed to be paid to them along with the report with regard to disciplinary action, if any, initiated against the delinquent public servants.

It is alleged that transfusion of infected blood to four patients occurred due to the negligence of the government hospital staff.

The media report said the patients had taken blood directly from the donors, which was transfused to them by the hospital staff concerned without conducting a proper test. The NHRC observed that the report, if true, raised a serious issue of violation of human rights of the patients.

It noted that a section of the hospital staff was reportedly hand in glove with the illegal professional donors and three officials, including a government doctor. 

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