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HIV+ blood transfusion in Bathinda: 7 months on, VB yet to question suspects
In December last year, the state health department had tasked VB’s Bathinda range unit to investigate possibilities of a nexus of the sacked hospital staff and others behind the repeated cases of wrong blood transfusion at the government-run blood bank at Bhai Shaheed Bhai Mani Civil Hospital
The vigilance bureau (VB) has failed to make any headway in the HIV+ blood transfusion cases at a government facility in Bathinda even after seven months.
In December last year, the state health department had tasked VB’s Bathinda range unit to investigate possibilities of a nexus of the sacked hospital staff and others behind the repeated cases of wrong blood transfusion at the government-run blood bank at Bhai Shaheed Bhai Mani Civil Hospital.
The step was taken after five persons, including four thalassaemia patients aged between 7 and 13, being treated at the district hospital were found HIV positive after blood transfusion.
The role of at least six staffers then posted at the blood bank came under the scanner in the serious breach of strict guidelines of blood transfusion. However, VB has not questioned any of the key suspects to date.
As the Bathinda district police are conducting a regular criminal investigation in which the main accused, Baldev Singh Romana, a medical laboratory technician was already arrested, the VB was asked to probe patterns where several were infused infected blood at the same place.
Bureau’s deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Kuldeep Singh confirmed that the VB is yet to question any of the suspects.
“Four lab technicians namely Gurpreet Singh Godara, Jagdeep Singh, Ajay Sharma and Gurpreet Ghumman were dismissed by the health department for their alleged negligence. It took us a lot of time to locate their current addresses. Now these suspects have been summoned on August 2,” said the DSP.
He said the VB is also seeking assistance from the district police in the matter.
After two departmental inquiries suspected a mischievous role played by several department staff, the top brass of the health department suspected a link among the cases.
Sources said records of the blood bank were allegedly tampered with and the VB was expected to find if there was an irregularity in the procurement of HIV test kits.
Health secretary Hussan Lal had said the VB has been entrusted for an in-depth probe as it is better equipped and trained to find out possibilities of a nexus behind repeated cases of wrong blood infusion.
Senior medical officer Dr Maninder Singh said the internal probe reports were handed over to VB in December and all assistance will be given to the police as and when required.
Bathinda DSP GS Romana said another accused of attempt to murder charge, Richu Goyal, a sacked lab technician, secured a pre-arrest bail from the Punjab and Haryana high court.
“No clinching evidence has appeared so far against then blood transfusion officer Dr Karishma Goyal. But the matter is under investigation and roles of other lab technicians are still being probed,” said Romana.
Meanwhile, a family of an 8-year-old thalassaemia patient demanded trial by a fast-track court. “According to the internal report, the staff managing the blood bank hid an incident when the blood of an HIV+ infected donor was issued to a patient at the Bathinda civil hospital in May last year. The same person donated blood again in October last year at the same institute and it was infused to my daughter, who is already battling thalassaemia. This criminal negligence has jeopardised the life of my daughter. Victims should be compensated suitably to set a precedent to fix accountability for medical negligence,” said the patient’s father.
