14 children in UP were infected with HIV and hepatitis
Dr. GSVM director Sanjay Kala recommended action against Drs. Arun Arya said he was not authorized to speak to the media and claimed that no blood transfusions were being given to infected people at LLRH.
- During routine check-ups at Kanpur’s Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital (LLRH), over a dozen thalassemic children who received blood transfusions were tested for infectious diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and even HIV. It showed a positive reaction. Dr. Sanjay Kala, principal of Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Medical College (GSVM) affiliated to LLRH, however, refuted this claim, claiming that no such case has been reported since 2019. Dr. Kara spoke at a press conference on the issue on Wednesday and refuted his doctor’s claims. Arun Arya, head of pediatrics at LLR and nodal officer of the center, said on Tuesday. Dr. Alia claimed that during the investigation, 14 children were found to be infected with various viruses.
Of the 14 people, seven tested positive for hepatitis B, five for hepatitis C, and two for HIV. The children belonged to various districts including Farkabad, Auraiya, Etawah, Kannauj, Kanpur City and Kanpur Dehat. He said that in addition to thalassemic conditions requiring blood transfusions, minors are at greater risk.
Meanwhile, after the incident came to light, UP deputy chief minister and state health minister Brajesh Pathak ordered a high-level probe into the incident. Currently, 180 of his thalassemia patients are receiving blood transfusions at LLRH, and each patient is tested for the viral disease by him every six months
The 180 patients include 14 children between the ages of 6 and 16, officials said. They had tested positive for various infectious diseases during routine tests at LLRH and received blood transfusions in cases of urgent need at private hospitals, district hospitals and, in some cases, local hospitals.
- Meanwhile, GSVM Director Dr. Sanjay Kala has not only taken action against
- Dr. Kara also said that previously all thalassemia patients underwent mandatory screening at LLRH. “Since 2019, screening has not found a single case of HIV or hepatitis infection. Screening has revealed two cases of HIV (one in 2014 and one in 2019). .They had received blood transfusions at another hospital),” he said. Kara. He added that in 2016, two thalassemia patients tested positive for hepatitis B, two in 2014, two in 2016 and one in 2019.
“So far, no thalassemia patient has been infected through blood transfusions performed at LLRH,” he said. Kara. LLRH officials have previously suggested that the incident may have been caused by the donated blood not being properly tested for the virus. In fact, donated blood must be tested for various viruses to ensure it is safe for transfusion. The source of infection itself can be difficult to identify.
- Dr. Alia said children who tested positive for hepatitis were referred to the gastroenterology department, while HIV patients were referred to a referral center in Kanpur, she said. He added that this blood transfusion may have taken place during the window period. According to him, there is a period during which pathological tests do not show the presence of the virus in the blood of infected people; this period is called the “window period.” “At the time of the blood transfusion, the doctor should have also vaccinated the children against hepatitis B,” he added. However, Uttar Pradesh National Health Mission officials and district-level officials will trace the source of the infection as part of the viral hepatitis control programme. The team will search for sites of both hepatitis and HIV infection.
Meanwhile, the political controversy surrounding the incident gained momentum with Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav and AICC leader Mallikarjun Kharge launching scathing attacks on the UP government.
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Source: www.indianexpress.com
