Madhya Pradesh forms panel to probe HIV infection among 6 children

Tarun Rathi, Commissioner of the Public Health and Medical Education Department, issued an order announcing the formation of the investigation team and directed it to submit a report within 7 days

The Madhya Pradesh government has formed a six-member committee to investigate how six children suffering from blood disorder thalassemia, including four treated at a hospital in Satna, contracted HIV infection, officials said.

Tarun Rathi, Commissioner of the Public Health and Medical Education Department, issued an order on Tuesday announcing the formation of the investigation team and directed it to submit a report within seven days.

The six children in the age group of 12 to 15 were found to be HIV positive after suspected contaminated blood transfusions at the district hospitals in Satna, Jabalpur and elsewhere. The parents of one of them were also found to be infected, officials said on Tuesday.

Satna Collector Satish Kumar S told reporters that these infection cases came to light between January and May this year, and all the victims are currently undergoing treatment.

"Children suffering from thalassemia were receiving regular blood transfusions. Six of them were found to be HIV positive during routine testing," he said.

The parents of one of these children were also found to be HIV positive, he added.

After the cases came to light, Madhya Pradesh Health Minister Rajendra Shukla said has he ordered an investigation into the matter and sought a report.

He said it was also being investigated whether the blood transfusion took place at any other hospital other than the government hospital.

The investigation committee will be headed by Dr Satya Avadhiya, regional director, Rewa division of the Public Health and Medical Education Department, the government order said.

Ruby Khan, deputy director of the State Blood Transfusion Council (SBTC); Romesh Jain, blood transfusion specialist at AIIMS, Bhopal; Seema Naved of the Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Centre; Sanjeev Jadon, senior drug inspector of the Food and Drug Administration in Hoshangabad, and Priyanka Choubey, drug inspector of the same department in Bhopal, will be other members of the probe team.

The committee has been directed to conduct an investigation and submit a detailed report within seven days.