The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday came down heavily on the state government after reports surfaced of children in Ranchi and Chaibasa testing HIV positive following blood transfusions at government hospitals.
A division bench of Chief Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Justice Rajesh Shankar described the matter as “extremely serious” and criticised the health administration for its apparent negligence.
The court observed that such incidents reflect grave lapses in the state’s healthcare monitoring system and must be treated with utmost urgency.
During the proceedings, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Ajay Kumar Singh, the Project Director of the Jharkhand AIDS Control Society, and the State Drug Controller appeared personally before the bench in compliance with the court’s earlier directive.
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The judges questioned them on the existing protocols for screening donated blood and the measures in place to ensure safe transfusions in hospitals.
The High Court directed the officials to submit a detailed affidavit listing all blood donation camps conducted in government and private hospitals across Jharkhand.
It also asked for updated data on the current demand and availability of blood in the state’s medical institutions.
Emphasising accountability and public safety, the bench warned that such incidents could not be tolerated and called for immediate corrective action.
The court further stressed that the government must strengthen the monitoring of blood banks and ensure foolproof testing procedures to prevent the recurrence of such tragedies.
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