Four blood donors test HIV positive in Jharkhand after five children contract virus: Report

Jharkhand on alert as four blood donors test HIV positive after five children infected.

Health authorities in Jharkhand are on high alert after four blood donors tested HIV positive, days after five thalassaemia-affected children were found to have contracted the virus following blood transfusions at Chaibasa Sadar Hospital.

According to a report by The Indian Express, blood samples from 259 donors, collected between 2023 and 2025, are now being re-examined. Of the 44 samples tested so far, four donors have been confirmed HIV positive, Jharkhand Health Minister Irfan Ansari said.

The five infected children, who regularly received transfusions as part of their thalassaemia treatment, are suspected to have contracted HIV from contaminated blood transfusions, prompting a major review of safety protocols in the state’s blood banks and hospitals.

High Court pulls up state government

Taking suo motu cognisance of the incident, the Jharkhand High Court on Thursday sharply criticised the state government for lapses in following standard procedures for blood transfusion.

A division bench of Chief Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Justice Rajesh Shankar questioned Health Secretary Ajoy Kumar Singh on the state’s adherence to the National Blood Policy and directed him to submit an affidavit with details of blood donation camps held in both government and private hospitals.

The bench also sought information on the gap between blood demand and supply, as well as steps being taken to ensure safe screening practices.

Significantly, the court asked the government to explain why Nucleic Acid Test (NAT) machines, which can detect HIV and other infections at an early stage, have not yet been installed in major hospitals across the state.

The case has triggered serious concern over the safety and monitoring of blood transfusions in Jharkhand, with calls growing for stronger oversight and better-equipped screening facilities to prevent such incidents in the future.