Four children with thalassemia test HIV-positive at Madhya Pradesh hospital; probe into blood transfusions
The deputy chief minister said the government “is firm that no negligence will be tolerated, especially when extensive campaigns are underway against thalassemia, sickle cell disease and TB”.
The affected children, aged between 12 and 15 years, were receiving regular blood transfusions from the hospital’s blood bank (Express file photo by Partha Paul)
Four children suffering from thalassemia have allegedly tested HIV positive at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel District Hospital in Madhya Pradesh’s Satna district, allegedly due to contaminated blood transfusions, officials said Tuesday. These alleged incidents have become a political flashpoint in the state, with Opposition Congress calling it governance failure.
The incident is nearly four months old and has come to public attention only now. An investigation is underway to determine whether the infection was caused by contaminated blood transfusions or the use of infected needles during treatment, officials said.
The affected children, aged between 12 and 15 years, were receiving regular blood transfusions from the hospital’s blood bank, as required for thalassemia patients. Some of the children have undergone as many as 80 to 100 blood transfusions, officials said.
Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla said that an investigation into the incident is underway.
“On the Satna incident, officials have discussed the matter with experts and the district collector. Thalassemia patients require blood transfusions two to three times a month. Records are being collected to determine where transfusions took place, as patients may also visit private centres. A committee has been formed under the supervision of the Principal Secretary, and strict action will be taken once responsibility is fixed,” Shukla said.
The deputy chief minister said the government “is firm that no negligence will be tolerated, especially when extensive campaigns are underway against thalassemia, sickle cell disease and TB”.
Devendra Patel, in-charge of the blood bank at the Satna district hospital, confirmed that four children have tested HIV positive. “Either an infected needle was used or a blood transfusion occurred. These are the two main possibilities. Blood transfusion appears to be the most likely cause,” Patel told PTI.
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District authorities said the blood bank records are being scrutinised and the probe is continuing. However, four months after the incident, the failure to clearly establish responsibility or identify the source of infection has raised serious questions about oversight in the state’s public healthcare system.
The delay in detection and the failure to trace the source of infection have “intensified concerns over blood screening and monitoring systems at the hospital,” said a senior health official. “As per mandatory protocol, every blood unit must be tested for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C before transfusion,” the official said.
The incident has sparked political outrage, with the Opposition Congress demanding accountability. Congress MLA and former minister Sachin Yadav said such incidents were becoming alarmingly frequent in Madhya Pradesh.
“Earlier, there was the toxic cough syrup case in Chhindwara, then rat bite incidents in hospitals in Indore and Satna, and now children have been given HIV-infected blood,” he said.
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Senior Congress leader Sajjan Singh Verma also termed the episode a failure of governance.
“Somewhere rats are roaming in hospitals, somewhere children are being given HIV-infected blood. Instead of preventing HIV, the system is spreading it,” he said, alleging that the state government was disconnected from ground realities.
Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy.
Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free.
Expertise and Reporting Beats
Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors:
National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres.
Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA).
Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking.
Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers.
Professional Background
Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017.
Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh.
Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs.
Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife.
Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance.
Digital & Professional Presence
Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express
Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More
