A serious case of alleged negligence in the government healthcare system has once again emerged from West Singhbhum district in Jharkhand, where three members of the same family — a husband, wife and their child — have tested HIV positive, reportedly after the woman was transfused blood from the Chaibasa Sadar Hospital blood bank.
According to the affected family, the woman delivered her first child through a caesarean section at Chaibasa Sadar Hospital in January 2023. During the procedure, she suffered excessive bleeding and was administered blood from the hospital’s blood bank.
The family has alleged that the blood transfused at that time was infected, which later led to the transmission of HIV to the woman and subsequently to other family members.
The matter came to light in June 2025 when the woman became pregnant for the second time and tested HIV positive during routine medical examinations.
Following this, her husband was also tested and found to be HIV positive. On January 2, 2026, the woman delivered her second child. Meanwhile, when the elder child fell seriously ill and was tested, the child too was found to be HIV positive, devastating the family.
Responding to the allegations, West Singhbhum health officials said it would not be appropriate to hold the blood bank responsible solely on the basis of allegations.
They said that the family has been called to the hospital and a detailed inquiry will be conducted. Medical records, blood transfusion details, donor screening reports and transfusion protocols will be thoroughly examined before drawing any conclusions.
Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi, however, termed the incident alarming and suggestive of a larger conspiracy. In a post on X, he recalled that the same blood bank had earlier come under scrutiny in cases involving HIV infection among thalassemia patients.
He demanded a CBI inquiry into the functioning of the Chaibasa Sadar Hospital and its blood bank, questioning why the blood bank continued operations despite orders for its closure.
Notably, over a dozen children were found HIV positive due to blood transfusion in Chaibasa last year. The case grabbed attention nationally and an SIT was formed to probe the matter.
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