Nellore: Woman comes for delivery to hospital, leaves HIV+

Nellore, Dec 13: In what can be termed the ultimate case of medical negligence in the country, a hapless woman was infected with HIV after she was given AIDS infected blood. The shocking incident happened in the Red Cross Society that has been in the forefront of providing medical help to the less fortunate among us.

The incident at the Nellore office of Red Cross Society has shocked relatives of the woman who received the infected blood from the Red Cross Society. Three units of blood was injected into the woman in Nellore causing the irreversible damage. The family of the victim has been quoted as saying, "We brought her to this hospital for delivery and we took blood from Red Cross. When we recently got her blood test done, she tested positive for HIV.”

With people relying on blood banks for emergency blood requirement, this news has come as a shocker and shows the haphazard way that the blood bank system works in India. The Red Cross Society has breached the standard protocol to be followed by blood banks across the country that makes it mandatory that elaborate blood tests need to be carried out to detect any impurities in blood. In spite of this, the deadly virus has found its way into the stored blood that was finally transferred to the woman.

Responding to the controversy, Dr Subramanyam, Secretary of the Red Cross Society commented, "Yes, they have taken three units of blood. We have all necessary test equipment, despite that, this incident occurred. We will conduct a thorough investigation."

Local authorities have promised to take action on the grave error and assured full support to the woman and the family. With the case itself drawing attention, especially when large gallons of blood are being sent to patients and accident victims across the country; the fact that infected blood finds place in a presumably safe blood bank is reason itself to worry.

OneIndia News