THE University Teaching Hospital (UTH) will be allowed to give a boy, 3, a life-saving blood transfusion, against the wishes of his Jehovah’s Witness mother.

Lusaka High Court Mungeni Mulenga has ordered doctors at UTH to conduct blood transfusion on 3 years old boy without the consent of his mother, a Jehovah’s Witness.

The Judge said the ruling is in favour of the minor who lives with a Sickle Cell anemia condition and needs blood transfusion from time to time for his survival.

Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in blood transfusion according to them is un biblical and looked at as a violation of God’s law which any creature must not allow into their bodies because it was an act worse than death.

The Judge said the best treatment as advised by the doctors is through blood transfusion each time the child is in crisis and in the best interest of the child from time to time.

“ I now order that the medical personnel at UTH where he is usually treated be at liberty to continue conducting blood transfusions on the minor as and when need arises without the consent of the mother as it is in the best interest of the patient and not the mother,” She said.

Judge Mulenga said the minor has not made a valid and informed decision as to which church he should belong not even a Jehovah’s Witness and that his mother must not impose her belief over the boy’s treatment.

She said the treatment of the boy is of life saving nature and time would come when he will validly be able to make that decision over his own treatment based on religious beliefs.

The boy’ s mother was sued by her husband for refusing to consent to UTH doctors to conduct blood transfusion on her son based on religious background as a Jehovah’s Witness.