Nagpur: A reply to a query under Right to Information Act has revealed a shocking fact. More than 900 blood bags from voluntary blood donation were found contaminated in Nagpur district last year. 12 thalassemia-sickle cell children under the age of 10 were infected with HIV, Hepatitis-B and ‘C’ through blood transfusion. Due to this, these children are on the brink of death.
In Maharashtra, 1442 innocent people have been exposed to HIV infection after receiving infected blood in the last 10 years. 60,000 deliveries take place in the Second Capital of Maharashtra every year. 60 percent of these deliveries are caesarean. All caesarean delivery mothers need blood. This is a major risk for caesarean delivery mothers due to lack of Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) blood test in government hospitals. The number of people infected with hepatitis B and C through blood is in the thousands.
The response was sought by the Patient Rights Forum, Nagpur, under Right to Information Act.
According to Raj Khandare of the Patients Rights Forum, last year, 12 thalassaemia patients were infected with HIV, hepatitis B, C in Nagpur due to infected blood, all of them under 10 years of age. Two children under five years old died. Looking at this alarming situation, we decided to get detailed information through RTI, said Khandare. The Maharashtra State AIDS Control Society (MSACS) shared the data of the last 10 years as a reply to Khandare’s RTI application.
MSACS Deputy Director Nilam Lawand said that 1.99 lakh HIV-positive cases were reported between 2012 and 2022. Out of them, 1,442 got the infection through blood and blood components. Alarmingly, the percentage of patients infected because of infected blood and blood components has increased from 0.59% in 2012 to 1.20% in 2022. This increase is despite the sharp decline in HIV-positive patients from 33,077 in 2012 to 11,092 in 2022.
The ultimate solution of this issue is to provide NAT-tested blood to patients. Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) of donated blood avoids infections like HIV and hepatitis. This system is available only in some private blood banks in the state. It has not yet been used in any government institution in Maharashtra.
Private blood banks charge extra for NAT-tested blood. Many private hospitals are no longer using blood from government blood banks because it’s not NAT-tested.
Two government hospitals in Nagpur — GMCH and Daga hospital — have also submitted proposals for NAT machines. Both are pending. “Today, hundreds of innocent children and patients have become victims of HIV and the lives of millions of patients will be at risk in the future. There will be no change until the NAT tested system is installed in all the government hospitals,” said Khandare.
Khandare also said that out of last year’s total blood collection in Nagpur district, more than 900 blood bags have been found to be contaminated. “This number may not sound big, but enough to expose thousands of people to the risk of HIV in the future,” said Khandare.
