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DEHRADUN: A six-year-old boy from Kaithal district in Haryana who underwent several blood transfusions to treat thalassemia in government hospitals in two states has tested positive for the HIV virus. The family found out about their child contracting HIV earlier this month after blood tests at Civil Hospital, Roorkee, where he was being treated for the blood disorder since August 2017, revealed the infection. Since then, the aggrieved family has been running from pillar to post, trying to find out details of the blood samples that were used for transfusion.

Both parents have tested negative for the virus, which the family said confirmed their fears that the boy had most likely been administered HIV-infected blood. The last blood transfusion the patient underwent was at the Roorkee hospital on January 2. The hospital has declined to provide the family details of blood units used for transfusion citing National Aids Control Organization (NACO) guidelines on protecting identity of donors.

The uncle of the boy provided TOI with a copy of the letter which the family wrote to the chief medical superintendent (CMS) of the hospital on January 10. The letter read: “Our child was transfused blood on August 28, September 9, October 7, November 17, November 29 and January 2 at your hospital. In the recent blood test it has come out that he is suffering from HIV infection. Please provide us details of blood donors (sic).”

The uncle said, “We are shocked at the non-cooperation of hospital staff. They have just handed us a sheet of paper which states that the blood units used in the transfusion were infection-free. What use is it? We want those responsible for ruining the life of a child to be punished and to ensure that no other innocent lives are destroyed.”

Dr Arvind K Mishra, CMS, Civil Hospital, Roorkee, maintained that the blood units used for transfusion were “absolutely safe”. “Our staff has verified that the blood used for transfusion was infection-free. The family was refused details of blood units as we cannot share details of blood donors according to NACO guidelines,” Mishra said.

A health department official, however, said that the hospital was asked to share details of blood samples with the family. Pradeep Hatwal , assistant director, Uttarakhand State AIDS Control Society, said, “We spoke to the hospital authorities on Thursday and had asked them to provide details of the blood unit such as the lot number, etc, after withholding the name of donors.”

Meanwhile, the CMS of the Roorkee hospital has also hinted that the child may have contracted the infection in Kaithal where he underwent over 40 blood transfusions in hospitals before the family moved to Roorkee. The boy’s father works in a private transport firm in Roorkee and his wife and child shifted to the city in August 2017.

The traumatized family said that they would now approach Civil Hospital, Kaithal, to seek details of the blood used during transfusions.

TOI spoke to principal medical superintendent of Civil Hospital, Kaithal, Dr Mukesh Kumar, who said that the hospital was willing to share details of the blood used during the procedure.

“Our hospital tests all donated samples. There is no question of transfusing infected blood to anyone. We will certainly provide the family with details of blood transfused to the child,” Kumar said.

The family of the patient said that their circumstances had forced them to shift to their village in Kaithal where nobody was aware that the child was HIV-infected.

“The boy will have to live with the stigma of being an HIV patient if we stay in Roorkee as the local residents know of our situation. We have no other option but to go back to our village,” the uncle said.