Five children contract HIV after transfusions in MP hospital; three staff suspended

The action was taken based on the preliminary inquiry report of a seven-member investigation committee headed by CEO of Ayushman Bharat Yogesh Bharsat

Updated on: Dec 19, 2025, 12:17:44 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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Bhopal: A pathologist in charge of a blood bank and two lab technicians have been suspended after five children were infected with HIV following blood transfusions at a district hospital in Madhya Pradesh’s Satna district.

The action was taken based on the preliminary inquiry report of a seven-member investigation committee headed by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ayushman Bharat Yogesh Bharsat.

The blood bank in charge of Satna district hospital, Devendra Patel, and two lab technicians, Ram Bhai Tripathi and Nandlal Pandey, have been suspended, officials said.

“In addition, a show-cause notice has been issued to the former civil surgeon of Satna district hospital, Manoj Shukla. He has been directed to submit a written explanation in response to the notice. He has been warned of strict departmental action if his explanation is not satisfactory,” deputy chief minister and health minister Rajendra Shukla said.

The state-level committee was formed on December 16 under the director of the State Blood Transfusion Council (SBTC), Yogesh Bharsat, after five minor thalassemia patients contracted HIV nine months ago, allegedly due to the transfusion of infected blood.

The prima facie investigation revealed that an infected person donated the blood to these children. However, the district administration is struggling to trace the donors, as at least 50% cannot be located due to incorrect addresses provided at the time of donation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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