Ranchi erupted in outrage as Jharkhand High Court slammed Chaibasa Sadar Hospital for transfusing HIV-positive blood to minor thalassemia patients. In a single-judge bench ruling, Justice Gautam Kumar Choudhary ordered police to file an FIR pronto, terming it a blatant breach of medical duty.
Deepak Hembrom’s petition exposed how five children, all under 8 and from low-income homes, contracted the virus post-transfusion earlier this year. The fallout? Endless medical bills, social isolation, and shattered families grappling with an incurable disease.
The court’s directives are crystal clear: head to the thana, demand FIR registration, and ensure the station head complies instantly. FIR copies go to petitioners and the court. Beyond FIR, calls ring for a special investigation team to unearth blood bank irregularities.
Government’s Rs 2 lakh per child aid? Dismissed as a drop in the ocean against HIV’s lifetime burden. This scandal underscores urgent needs for rigorous blood testing, trained staff, and strict oversight in government hospitals.
With public fury mounting, the judiciary’s intervention could spark statewide audits, pushing for zero-tolerance on healthcare lapses that rob innocents of their future.
