Coimbatore: While parents of the two-year old infant who tested positive for HIV allege that she acquired the infection after she underwent a blood transfusion at the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH), dean of the hospital, Dr Asokan, claims that the hospital has records to prove otherwise.
Parents of the infant, Viswanathan and Chitra, who are from Tiruchy, submitted a petition to the Coimbatore district collector Mr K.Rajamani on Tuesday, urging him to do the needful to ensure justice for their child. Following this, the district collector ordered a probe.
In response to the same, the CMCH conducted an investigation and a report was submitted to the office of the district collector on Wednesday.
“We have traced the blood kit that was used in the process of transfusion that was carried out on 12 July here. Moreover, it was not blood that was transfused in the first place. The baby girl was admitted to the hospital in July 2018 and 50 ml of packed cells (red blood corpuscles) were transfused,” Dr Asokan said.
Following the inquiry, the blood kit was re-examined and as per the hospital records, the packed cell which was transfused to the infant tested negative for HIV, syphilis, malaria, and hepatitis B and C.
“Alleging that the child acquired the human immunodeficiency virus following the blood transfusion is wrong as RBCs are incapable of transmitting the HIV virus,” Dr Asokan said.
However, parents of the girl continue to insist that their two-year old infant contracted the infection after she underwent blood transfusion at the hospital. The parents and twin brother of the infant tested negative for HIV.
