Jharkhand Thalassemia Patients Test HIV-Positive; Blood Bank Under Investigation

Chaibasa, Jharkhand: Four more children suffering from thalassemia have tested HIV-positive in Chaibasa, taking the total number of affected minors to five, officials said on Saturday, October 25, 2025.

The discovery follows allegations from the family of a seven-year-old patient, who claimed that the local blood bank at Sadar Hospital had transfused contaminated blood. In response, the Jharkhand government immediately constituted a five-member medical investigation team from Ranchi to determine how the child contracted the virus.

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Investigation Reveals Blood Bank Discrepancies

The team, led by Dr. Dinesh Kumar, Director of Health Services, inspected the blood bank and the pediatric intensive care unit. Officials collected data from children currently under treatment.

“Initial investigations indicate that contaminated blood was transfused to a thalassemia patient. Some discrepancies were detected in the blood bank during the probe, and the concerned officials have been instructed to resolve them immediately,” Dr. Kumar said.

District Civil Surgeon Dr. Sushanto Majhee noted that the seven-year-old child had tested HIV-positive over a week ago. He cautioned that HIV transmission could also occur via other means, including contaminated needles, and further investigation is ongoing.

Authorities confirmed that the child had received around 25 units of blood since beginning treatment at the hospital.

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Medical Team and Local Context

The investigative team comprises:

• Dr. Dinesh Kumar (Director, Health Services)

• Dr. Shipra Das

• Dr. S. S. Paswan

• Dr. Bhagat

• Dr. Shivcharan Hansda

• Dr. Minu Kumari

• District Civil Surgeon Dr. Sushanto Majhee

The team has been tasked with auditing blood bank procedures and ensuring strict compliance with safety protocols.

Currently, West Singhbhum district reports 515 HIV-positive cases and 56 registered thalassemia patients, highlighting the public health risk posed by unsafe blood transfusions.

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Next Steps

The government has directed immediate corrective measures at the Sadar Hospital blood bank. Families of affected children are being counselled and provided with medical support, while authorities continue contact tracing and testing for other pediatric patients.

Officials emphasized that a comprehensive report will be submitted after the ongoing investigation to ensure transparency and prevent recurrence.