Six children test HIV positive in M.P.’s Satna district hospital blood transfusion case

At least six children have been found HIV positive in Madhya Pradesh’s Satna allegedly due to contaminated blood transfusions at the district hospital during treatment for thalassaemia, officials said on Tuesday (December 16, 2025).

According to officials, the children include five boys aged under 11 and a nine-year-old girl who have been undergoing blood transfusions at the hospital. While the children were found positive between January and May 2025, the matter has come to light now, prompting the State authorities to order inquiries.

Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, who holds the Health portfolio, said that he has sought a report on the matter.

“We will only be able to reveal anything once the report comes. It is also being investigated whether the blood transfusion took place in other hospitals also or only in the government hospital,” Mr. Shukla said, speaking to reporters.

Satna Collector Satish Kumar S. said that an internal investigation at the hospital level has been launched into the matter.

“We have also informed the State administration. The children have received transfusions at different hospitals, including the district hospital as well as in Jabalpur and in private hospitals too. But if anyone is found responsible for this, strict action will be taken against them,” Mr. Kumar said, adding that the children were reported positive during screenings between January and May.

Dr. Manoj Shukla, in-charge Chief Medical and Health Officer and Civil Surgeon of the district hospital, said that the children have been receiving treatment for thalassaemia for a long time as they require regular blood transfusions.

“Because they develop a history of multiple transfusions, they come into high risk category for HIV. So, the programme head of AIDS here conducted further tests on them and their treatment was started immediately,” Dr. Shukla said, while claiming that the children are “fine now”.

Dr. Shukla also said that the parents of one of the children were already HIV positive.

While the source of infection is yet to be detected, the CMHO said that apart from blood transfusion, the children could have also contracted the infection from any intravenous injection or contaminated syringe.

“All the protocols are followed at our blood bank and donors are tested properly and the blood is issued for transfusion only if they are found negative for all ailments. But a chance remains that if a person is in the window period of very early stage of infection, then it is not detected in the tests. It only comes to fore after a few months,” he said, adding that donors whose blood was transfused into these children are being called for testing, but none has been found infected so far.

“One of the children was given blood more than 125 times. So, it is difficult to trace so many donors and convince them to come for testing,” he said.

A senior doctor at the district hospital, however, told The Hindu that some officials of the blood bank had not alerted the hospital administration despite the children testing positive about four months ago.

“We only came to know about this through local media,” the doctor said, requesting anonymity.

Meanwhile, the Opposition Congress hit out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party over the matter and sought Mr. Shukla’s resignation.

“The health minister is unable to manage the department. He should resign. A murder case should be filed against those responsible for the Satna incident,” Congress MLA and former State government Minister Sachin Yadav said.