Nagpur: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Maharashtra Government over reports of four children testing HIV positive following the blood transfusion in Nagpur and one of them dying.
Recently, a case came to the fore in Nagpur where five children became HIV positive while one succumbed to this virus. A notice has also been issued to the Secretary of State Food and Drug Department to submit a report within six weeks regarding a preliminary investigation into the matter and to initiate criminal proceedings.
The NHRC notice says, as per a media report, the four children were being treated for thalassemia in which blood for transfusion has to be screened through a Nucleic Acid Test first. However, in the absence of the facility, the children were administered contaminated blood. The notice further pointed out, NHRC has taken suo motu cognisance of the media report that after the blood transfusion, the four children tested HIV positive and one of them died in Nagpur.
NHRC made it clear that if the contents of the media report were found true, it amounts to human rights violation of the victims. Accordingly, the NHRC has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra, seeking a detailed report in the matter within six weeks.
According to the media report carried on May 26, the State Health Department has started taking action against the culprits after a high-level investigation.
