Admin
... Read More
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookie Policy.
Written By: Admin | Updated : March 28, 2013 4:37 PM IST
In a shocking incident, an eight-year-old thalassemia patient was infected with HIV through alleged blood transfusion at a government hospital in Kerala s Wayanad district. The girl s father alleges that the she caught the virus from infected blood. Thalassemia is a blood disorder in which the red blood cells are improperly formed so the oxygen-transportation goes down. The girl suffered from this disease and needed periodic blood transfusions since she was two years old. Tests in July 2012 revealed that the girl was suffering from HIV. Tests on her family members tested negative, which meant that the girl either got infected at the District Hospital or the Calicut Medical College Hospital.
Given the stigma attached to HIV, the family kept quiet about the child s ordeal until Wednesday when they finally lodged a complaint with the state Health Minister VS Sivakumar. Her relatives staged a protest along with activists of the Democratic Youth Federation of India at the District Medical Office.
Calicut Medical College Hospital Superintendent Dr MK Ravindran said that the likelihood of the girl getting HIV from a transfusion was very low and could only happen in a certain circumstance where an HIV positive person has the virus but hasn t tested positive yet and the hospital accidentally collect the contaminated blood.
What is thalassemia?
Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder in which the affected children are unable to maintain Haemoglobin (Hb) in the normal range. Their bone marrow cannot form sufficient red cells and red cell survival is also reduced.
Tired of reading? Check out our YouTube Channel
