Probe after 5 thalassemia-affected minors ‘test HIV positive’ in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum

Following media reports, the Jharkhand High Court took suo motu cognizance of the case. A team from the Jharkhand State AIDS Control Society (JSACS), led by Director of Health Services Dr. Dinesh Kumar, visited Chaibasa on October 25 and reportedly found four more HIV-positive children, taking the total to five.

Chief Minister Hemant Soren, in a post on X, directed the suspension of the Civil Surgeon and other concerned officials. He further announced that the state government will provide financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the affected children and will bear the full cost of their medical treatment.

Deputy Commissioner Chandan Kumar said the infected children, had been receiving transfusions every 15 to 30 days for years. “The recent screening through kits revealed five positive cases, which were never tested before,” he said.

He added the administration is working on three fronts — “to confirm the results through further tests, to trace the database of blood donors, and to verify whether infection could be due to undetected HIV-positive donors.” He said the five children had different blood groups, suggesting “the infection did not come from a single donor but from different sources.”

“Most transfusions were done at government institutions like Sadar Hospital, though in some cases blood came from private sources. Teams are tracing every donation to identify donors and ensure they receive proper treatment if required,” he said, adding there was no suspicion of deliberate wrongdoing.

Dr. Dinesh Kumar said, “We have examined the papers and documents of the blood bank laboratory, and they appear to be in order. However, the method of working here needs improvement. The blood bank will be sterilized, and all aspects of the process are being investigated.”

Civil Surgeon Dr. Sushanto Majhee said, “The first case was detected on October 18. We are re-testing all blood donors linked to these transfusions. It’s too early to conclude the infection came directly from the blood bank.”

He said three of the five infected children belong to tribal families and all are under medical supervision.

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