Jharkhand HC orders immediate FIR in HIV-infected blood transfusion case
RANCHI: Taking serious note of an alleged case involving the transfusion of HIV-infected blood to children, the Jharkhand High Court has directed the state government to mmediately register an FIR, citing grave negligence with potentially life-threatening consequences and the need for an urgent criminal probe.
The direction came while hearing a petition related to an incident in West Singhbhum district, where children suffering from thalassemia allegedly contracted HIV after being transfused with infected blood at the Sadar Hospital.
After the issue was highlighted in the media, the Jharkhand High Court took suo motu cognisance and converted the matter into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), ordering an urgent probe and seeking a detailed report from the state health department.
During the hearing on Wednesday, the court stressed accountability and made it clear that lapses in blood screening and transfusion protocols could not be treated casually. It directed the state government to provide a copy of the registered FIR to the complainants and submit a copy to the court through a counter-affidavit.
The court further ordered prompt registration of the FIR, identification of those responsible, and a fair, time-bound investigation. It also emphasised strict compliance with medical and safety norms in blood banks and healthcare institutions to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The order has renewed concerns over blood safety mechanisms in Jharkhand, with health officials expected to review existing procedures and strengthen monitoring to avoid recurrence of such serious lapses.
Notably, a seven-year-old child suffering from thalassemia allegedly contracted HIV after receiving a blood transfusion at the Sadar Hospital in West Singhbhum on October 24. The matter came to light after the child’s family lodged complaints with the Deputy Commissioner and the state government.
According to reports, the child was admitted to the hospital a few months ago for treatment and underwent a blood transfusion. When his health later deteriorated, medical tests confirmed that he was HIV positive.
The child’s family has accused the hospital of negligence, alleging that the infection resulted from contaminated blood supplied by the hospital’s blood bank, and has demanded strict action against those responsible.
Following the High Court’s directions, a high-level medical investigation team from Ranchi visited Chaibasa to inspect the hospital’s blood bank and related facilities. The team inspected the blood bank and the PICU ward and collected detailed information from the children’s families.
During the inspection, the medical team reportedly found several deficiencies and serious irregularities in the functioning of the blood bank and laboratory. Preliminary findings suggest that poor testing protocols, lack of supervision and procedural negligence may have allowed contaminated blood to be used for transfusions, endangering the lives of several children.