Authorities are looking into the case of three members of a Jharkhand family – a woman, her husband and their elder child – who tested HIV-positive, allegedly after the woman was administered blood during a C-section delivery at a Chaibasa government hospital in 2023.
The Health Secretary said the matter has not reached him, but that he will provide the treatment and financial assistance.
According to the family, the woman delivered her first child in January 2023 and received blood from Chaibasa Sadar Hospital’s blood bank, the only source of blood in the entire district.
The blood bank was in the news in October, when the Jharkhand government confirmed that five children with thalassemia were infected with HIV, and all infections were linked to transfusions to the facility.
The woman’s husband told The Indian Express that his wife got pregnant for the second time in June last year, only two months before the government hospital found out about the five children. “During routine medical tests for her second pregnancy, she was found HIV-positive. Later, when I went for a check-up, I tested positive too,” he said.
He said his second child was born on January 2 in Jamshedpur. “Later, my elder child was unwell, and I took her to Chaibasa hospital for a check-up, where she too was found to have HIV,” he said.
“My wife and I are living our lives in silence; we have no clue what can be done about this,” he said.
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Asked why he didn’t raise an alert earlier, he said it was the fear of social stigma. “We were watching news of the five children with thalassemia. We don’t want to face the discrimination that those five families are currently facing,” he said, adding that he decided to break his silence as soon as his elder child tested positive earlier this month.
He said they are anxious about the possibility of their second child being diagnosed with HIV, too.
When contacted, Health Secretary Ajay Kumar said what happened is unfortunate, and the family will get all possible support.
“We will take this up. We will look into relevant government schemes so that financial assistance can be provided. There can be one-time financial support and even pension support, if applicable,” Kumar said.
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He said he will speak to hospital officials and ask them to speak to the family so their demands are put in writing. “We will place the proposal before the government and see what support can be extended,” he said.
Asked why this case was not brought to light earlier and whether hospital authorities had informed higher officials, Kumar said he would verify the facts through official channels. “I will speak to the Civil Surgeon and the officials concerned,” he said.
He reiterated that the government will ensure treatment support and financial assistance for the family.
