Days after the shocking discovery of a pregnant woman being transfused with HIV positive blood at the government hospital in Virudhunagar district of Tamil Nadu, the Madras High Court has taken suo moto cognizance of the matter. The Tamil Nadu Health Department has been asked to file a report on the case by January 3, by a bench comprising Justice S Vaidyanathan and Justice PT Asha.

A 23-year-old pregnant woman in Sattur, Virudhunagar was negligently transfused with the blood of a 19-year-old HIV positive man. The responsible gesture of the man informing the blood bank where he donated led to the ultimate discovery that his blood had already been transfused to the woman. The case sent shockwaves across Tamil Nadu, with the Health Department ordering a test of all blood samples in the state, across government and private hospitals.

According to the woman’s husband, however, the government hospital authorities initially attempted to hide the fact that the HIV-positive blood had been transfused to his wife.

The Tamil Nadu Health Department has terminated the employment of three staff members of the hospital, including the lab technician. The state government also formed an expert committee under the leadership of Dr Sindha, Senior Blood Bank Officer at the Madurai Government Rajaji Hospital, to probe into the matter.

Speaking to media persons outside the Sattur Government Hospital, Tamil Nadu Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan requested the public not to panic, insisting that this was a rare instance of a procedural lapse.

“We have made arrangements for the woman to receive exclusive treatment in Madurai Government Rajaji Hospital. We have assigned three doctors to specially oversee the assessment and treatment of the victim. If the family is not satisfied with the treatment in Madurai, the government is ready to arrange treatment in a private hospital also,” he had said.