Cancer patient gets AIDS at AIIMS

May 5, 2006

[Thursday, May 04, 2006 12:08:32 am TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]

NEW DELHI: Aggrieved with the defensive attitude of AIIMS in a case

where a boy, suffering from cancer, got inflicted with AIDS after

blood transfusion at the hospital in 2001, the Delhi High Court has

sought an explanation from its medical superintendent (MS).

The court has asked them to explain as to why the hospital is

unwilling to disclose details of the donor whose blood was

transfused into the victim.

The hospital has avoided producing papers related to the blood

transfusion since 2001 when the case was filed by the patient. The

boy was then nine-years-old.

Justice Vikramjit Sen felt that the issue of blood transfusion

concerns the public at large. The MS needs to explain as to how can

a hospital protect a person whose contaminated blood has inflicted

HIV in a person.

Justice Sen was perturbed after the AIIMS counsel tried to argue the

matter on technical grounds. While objecting to the advocate's

arguments, the judge commented that in most of the cases where AIIMS

was involved, the hospital gets defensive and refuses to admit the

fault.

" I agree that the hospital is of repute and has the best facilities.

But it can go wrong somewhere, " remarked the judge while asking the

hospital's counsel as to why were they trying to shield the donor.

The judge further brushed aside the hospital's arguments that the

boy must have received the virus through a needle or an intravenous

drug. " Do you want to say that the nine-year-old boy was on drugs, "

the judge said.

According to boy's advocate, Anand Grover, his client was diagnosed

with cancer after the Pokhran blasts. The boy's father works with

the BSF and was posted at the border during that time.

Grover said: " Before going to AIIMS, the boy was admitted to a

private hospital in Jaipur. " Pursuant to the court orders, while the

private hospital produced relevant papers related to the boy's

treatment, AIIMS did not.

Grover said it was important to refer to the papers since they have

sought a compensation of Rs 25 lakh from the hospital. " Those papers

can prove that the blood transfusion infected the boy with HIV,

since otherwise he has no medical history, " Grover added.

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