MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court has sought report from the State Health Secretary on a public interest litigation seeking direction for better treatment and compensation to the pregnant woman who contracted HIV due to medical negligence during blood transfusion.

The litigant M Abbas Mandhiri, advocate and organiser of MNM Madurai South constituency, pointed out in his petition that despite the State Blood Transfusion Council announcing that asking relatives of patients to donate blood for elective procedure or deliveries is a punishable offence, majority of government hospitals ask relatives of patients to donate blood as replacement. The blood of the HIV infected youth being transfused to the pregnant lady was a result of violation of this policy of the council, he submitted.

Moreover, there are several vacancies in the Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society (TANSACS) which ought to be filled for enabling the department to take effective control measures against the disease and for monitoring blood donation activities, he noted.

The victim must be given best medical care to ensure that the disease is not transmitted to the child, Abbas further submitted, and prayed the Court seeking direction for the same. He also sought further directions to formulate a policy for safe blood donation. 

A bench comprising Justices K K Sasidharan and P D Audikesavalu who heard the plea, issued notice to the Health Secretary, Director of TANSACS, GRH Dean among others. They also directed the Secretary to file a report on the steps taken by the department on the issue at the next hearing on January 22.