CHENNAI: Even as the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court declined to entertain a plea to take suo-motu proceedings on the issue relating to transfusion of HIV+ blood to a pregnant woman at the
government hospital in Sathur in Virudhunagar district, a vacation bench of the High Court here, initiated proceedings on the matter suo-motu, on Thursday.
When the bench of Justices S Vaidyanathan and P T Asha, began their work at about 10.30 am today, advocate R Y George Williams and Supreme Court advocate S Krishnamurthy, made a mention in this connection.
Subsequently, the bench suo-motu took cognizance of the incident. Additional Advocate-General P H Aravind Pandian, who was present in the court, assured the bench that he would file a detailed report on
the action taken to treat the woman at the Rajaji Government Hospital in Madurai, and the disciplinary proceedings taken against the negligent staff attached to the Sathur hospital, after obtaining instructions from the Government.
Directing him to file a detailed status report, the bench posted the matter for further hearing on January 3.
The woman, who visited the hospital at Sathur for an antenatal check-up on December 3 last, was advised blood transfusion as she was anaemic. Accordingly, it was done. Four days after the procedure, it came to
light that the blood transfused to her, was HIV infected and was negligently labelled as 'safe' by the lab technicians attached to the hospital.
Originally, the blood was donated by a teenager which was meant to be transfused to his relative. Since it was not used, it was sent to be stored in the blood bank. Immediately after the issue was brought to the notice of the authorities, the three health workers were placed under suspension for not screening the blood sample and labelling it as safe. The donor allegedly attempted to commit suicide by consuming rat poison as his family struggled to deal with the disaster, on December 26.