Given HIV-infected blood, says woman; hospital denies charge

This comes two days after a similar incident in Virudhunagar district of the same state.

The hospital authorities have denied the latest allegation, arguing she may have contracted the virus by other means. The blood given to her was sourced from two donors.

"As she had come here in a semi-critical condition (the woman was pregnant), we had no option but conduct the procedure on the basis of documents she produced. We just couldn't waste any time doing a test that would have taken three hours. Such a delay could have endangered her life. But our records clearly show that the donors were HIV-negative," Dr P Vasanthamani, the Dean of Kilpauk Medical College Hospital told NDTV, adding that the woman could have contracted the virus orally or through a sexual relationship.

It could not be ascertained whether the woman was HIV-positive when she visited to hospital in April.

The woman's three-month-old infant does not appear to be infected, the report added.

In the Virudhunagar incident, the blood was sourced from a young man who had tested at the same hospital two years ago.

Though the hospital did not specify HIV-infected blood, the man found his blood was infected when he later tested at a private laboratory.

By the time the man warned the government hospital, the blood was administered to the 24-year-old pregnant woman.

Three lab technicians of a government-run blood bank has been suspended for the lapse.

The affected woman has been put on anti-retroviral treatment. The doctors said instant detection increased the chance of the woman's longer life.

The family will now have to wait till the birth of the child to find out whether the baby is infected with HIV or not.

Though the government has offered financial compensation and jobs for the woman and her husband, they want assistance for private treatment.

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