THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The high-level team under Joint DME Sreekumari has given a clean chit to the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) in connection with the allegations that a child cancer patient admitted to the RCC was given HIV-infected blood.
The Kerala AIDS Control Society and the internal probe held by the RCC had earlier given a similar report to the government. The report submitted to the government said there was no technical fault on the part of the RCC. It said the virus might have been transmitted through the blood which was transfused during the window period. However, the report points out the RCC had no mechanism to detect the virus during the window period.
Confirming the high-level team had submitted the report, Health Secretary Rajeev Sadanandan said there was no adverse remarks against the RCC. The report said all protocol and procedures specified for blood transfusion were strictly followed by the blood bank at the RCC. However, it mentioned there was no mechanism to detect if a person with HIV had donated the blood during the window period.
It said the blood given to the nine-year-old child was tested before transfusion and had not tested positive for HIV. The reports of the Kerala AIDS Control Society and the internal probe held by the RCC had similar views as that of the high-level team.
Meanwhile, Sadanandan said the government would take necessary steps to increase the efficiency of testing at the blood banks in the state. He said there was a need to discourage professional blood donors. The secretary also mentioned the need for having Nucleic Acid Test (NAT) that detects HIV infection during the window period at the blood banks.
One more suspected case
One more child who was under treatment at Regional Cancer Centre was suspected to have contracted HIV. The 15-year-old child from Tamil Nadu was under treatment for leukaemia at the hospital. The child was admitted to the hospital in August.
Though the child was discharged from the hospital, preliminary blood tests suspect that the child has been infected, sources said. Blood samples have been sent for further tests and a clear picture can be got only after the tests, they added.