Between 2023 and 2025, blood was collected from 259 donors linked to thalassemia transfusions at Chaibasa Sadar Hospital in Jharkhand’s Chaibasa, of which 44 samples have been retested so far. “Out of these, four donors have been found HIV positive,” the state’s Health Minister Irfan Ansari told The Indian Express on Thursday, adding that the department is tracing all donors and verifying the chain of transfusions.
“Four donors were found HIV positive,” the minister told The Indian Express, adding that the cases appear to predate the recent transfusions, but will be investigated further.
The checks are being carried out after five children who were being treated for thalassemia in the region tested positive for HIV, allegedly from blood transfusions.
“The matter is serious and under investigation. If anyone is found guilty, strict action will be taken within a month,” Ansari said. “Thalassemia patients cannot survive without regular transfusions. So, at any cost, they get the blood, but that does not absolve negligence. The system must be foolproof.”
Ansari, who conducted a surprise inspection at the Chaibasa Sadar Hospital on Thursday, termed the incident a “serious lapse” and directed an immediate inquiry. He said compensation of Rs 2 lakh has been provided to the affected families.
When The Indian Express asked him about family members of the children claiming that they were not made to sign consent forms before donating blood, the minister dismissed it as “incorrect,” but assured that the investigation team would look into these claims.
BJP state vice-president Aarti Kujur, meanwhile, accused the Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand government of being “anti-tribal” and announced that the BJP will hold protests across all districts on November 3 against the “state-sponsored crime”.
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“Five tribal children undergoing thalassemia treatment at Chaibasa Sadar Hospital were given HIV-infected blood. This is nothing short of serving death in the name of treatment. It shows how little this government cares about the lives of tribal families and their children,” she said.
She said the state government “is trying to hush up the matter by suspending a few people,” while the health minister is “making political remarks” and the chief minister remains “silent.”
“This is the height of insensitivity. The Hemant Soren government’s record is filled with anti-tribal acts. From the Chaibasa killings in 2020 to the present HIV incident, the government has repeatedly failed the Adivasi community,” she said.
Ansari said that the BJP made Jharkhand’s health system a joke for 20 years, and his government is trying to fix things. “If any negligence is proven, I will personally take responsibility for the affected families and ensure strict action against those at fault,” he said.
