Image for illustration purposes only. | Photo credit: File
The Madhya Pradesh government has formed a committee to investigate the case of six children contracting the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), allegedly due to a contaminated blood transfusion at the Satna District Hospital and other facilities in the state.
According to an order issued by Tarun Rathi, commissioner, public health and medical education department, on Tuesday, the six-member panel has been asked to submit a detailed report within seven days. The committee will be led by Dr. Satya Awadhiya, Regional Director, Rewa Division.
Six children between the ages of three and 15 suffering from thalassemia tested positive for the virus between January and May 2025, according to officials. However, the matter only came to light on Tuesday.
Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, who also holds the health portfolio, said the children are being treated at the Integrated Counseling and Testing Center under the guidance of central government agencies and that a state-level committee has been formed to investigate the matter and trace the donor.
“Thalassemia children are given blood two to three times in a month. It is not necessary that the blood should be given from one particular centre. It is said that (some children) also visited Jabalpur, so it could have happened there or in some private centres. This commission will look into everything and the facts will come out,” Shukla said in a media interview.
“Blood is collected from every donor after all tests. But a committee has been formed to find out why such a situation has arisen,” he said, adding that strict action would be taken if negligence at any level was found.
Earlier, Satna Collector Satish Kumar S said that an internal investigation has also been initiated at the hospital level in the matter.
Dr. Manoj Shukla, chief medical officer and medical officer and civil surgeon of the district hospital, said he issued a show-cause notice to the nodal officer of the National AIDS Control Organization as the matter was not brought to his attention even though the screening process to find donors was already underway.
He said the parents of one of the children were already infected with HIV.
The committee also includes Ruby Khan, deputy director of the State Blood Transfusion Board; Romesh Jain, blood transfusion specialist at AIIMS, Bhopal; Seema Naved of Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Centre; Sanjeev Jadon, chief drug inspector of the Food and Drug Administration in Hoshangabad; and Priyanka Choubey, drug inspector of the same department in Bhopal.
Published – 17 Dec 2025 22:02 IST
