Government knew donor was HIV+ve in 2016, failed to inform him

MADURAI/CHENNAI:The teenaged donor, whose blood infected a pregnant woman with HIV, attempted suicide at his home in southern Tamil Nadu on Wednesday as the families struggled to deal with the tragedy and more details emerged of criminal negligence on the part of public healthcare personnel.

The woman has lodged a complaint against unknown doctors and nurses for the transfusion and sought stringent action against them. Her husband, who is a daily-wage labourer, said the family did not want a government job as compensation, only the best medical care for the woman and child, which is expected to be born in January. The government has arranged all facilities at the Madurai government hospital and sacked three employees for the tragic mix-up.

But there is evidence to show healthcare officials had at least two chances to prevent the tragedy. One, the donor had been identified as HIV positive two years ago, in 2016, when he donated blood at a camp in Sattur, a town in Virudhunagar district. The Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre (ICTC) at the government hospital there should have told the youth he had HIV.

The counsellor did call him up but he said he was Bangalore and she only told him to report to the centre. Counsellors normally do not break the news over phone. But she did not pursue the case when he did not turn up for two years.

Two, blood bank staff could have prevented the catastrophe had they tested the blood he donated on November 30, again at the Sattur GH.

HIV issue: State asks six-member committee to file report in a week

The lab technician labelled it safe and a woman and her unborn child are paying for his negligence. The teenager had donated blood because a relative of his needed it at the hospital. Since it was not used it was sent to the blood bank.

It was issued to a woman at the Sivakasi GH on December 3. The woman, a B.Com graduate, had come to the GH for antenatal checks. Doctors told her she had to undergo blood transfusion as she was anaemic.

Four days later, a private hospital in Madurai tested the donor positive for HIV and referred him to Sattur GH.“He had gone to the private hospital because blood tests were mandatory for an employment visa. On inquiry, the counsellor at Sattur GH identified him. She called the blood bank to alert them. By then the blood was issued,” an official said.

Early on Wednesday, the distraught donor consumed rat poison and was hospitalized in Ramanathapuram district. The infected woman will be provided treatment at the Madurai government hospital, where three doctors have been detailed to take care of her, said health secretary J Radhakrishnan. The state has asked a six-member committee headed by additional director of medical services Dr.S Madhavi to inquire into the case and submit a report within one week.