HC seeks report on action against officers in HIV+ blood transfusion case

Ranchi: Jharkhand high court on Wednesday directed state govt to file a detailed and comprehensive report on action taken against erring medical officers for allegedly transfusing HIV-positive blood in five minor thalassaemia patients at Chaibasa Sadar Hospital.A division bench headed by Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay gave the direction while hearing a PIL filed by Deepak Hembram seeking formation of a special investigation team to probe how contaminated blood was infused into five children aged between five and seven years.State govt informed the HC that an FIR was registered on Feb 6 against the medical officers of the hospital who were responsible for the act. The court was, however, not satisfied with the govt response and directed it to file a detailed progress report.The court observed that minor children were infused with contaminated HIV-positive blood, which has put their future in danger. People responsible for such carelessness and negligence need to be dealt with harshly by the law, the bench stated.The case will be heard next on April 21.The children were transfused blood on different dates in Aug and Sept 2025, after which they showed symptoms of contracting the virus. The govt had constituted a five-member medical team to investigate the incident. The team found significant irregularities in the blood bank at the Sadar hospital, including that it was operating despite its licence expiring in 2008.