Blood safety writ petition before Gauhati High Court

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum Members,

Human Righst Law Network (HRLN),Manipur filed a writ petition before the Court

for necessary instruction and action against the medical institute whose

questionable handling of patient is alleged to have resulted in the petitioner’s

eight year old son getting infected with HIV. Please find the report below:

RIMS pulled to Court. Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, Jul 14: Breaking new grounds, one Brahmacharimayum Tolajit Sharma has

approached Imphal bench of the Gauhati High Court accusing Regional Institute of

Medical Science (RIMS) hospital of negligence.

Informing the matter Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) said Tolajit Sharma of

Khongman Zone-II filed a writ petition before the Court for necessary

instruction and action against the medical institute whose questionable handling

of patient is alleged to have resulted in the petitioner’s eight year old son

getting infected with HIV.

As per the petitioner, his third son Rakesh Sharma had been well taken care of

including periodic vaccination at RIMS Hospital where the boy was born.

Mentioning a particular incident, Tolajit - a cook by occupation - rushed his

then infant son to the hospital on March 15, 2001 with head injuries sustained

accidentally.

At the examination room of RIMS’ casualty ward a bleeding Rakesh was stitched by

the attending medical staffs using all the equipment normally associated with

such case.

However, the father is informed to be shocked on observing that equipments like

forceps, needle, scalpel, scissors etc used on other patients brought to the

same room were not sterilised at all but nevertheless continued to be used upon

his bleeding son as well.

After about four years of the said incident, Rakesh developed various ailments

and was taken to numerous physicians but with no sign of any improvement in his

overall health only to culminate with the confirmation of being HIV positive on

November 23, 2005 at JN Hospital.

Suspecting route of transmission of HIV to Rakesh, both Tolajit and his wife (B

Amusana Devi) underwent requisite tests but the results turned out to be

negative thereby leading to strong ground for dragging RIMS hospital authorities

to the court for gross violation of prescribed health care measures especially

in the prevention of HIV/AIDS infection.

The case filed at the initiative of HRLN on July 10 with advocate M Rakesh as

the petitioner’s counsel is said to be the first of its kind claiming

compensation amount of Rs 5 lakhs to the victim and amily.

After thorough perusal of the matter, the Gauhati HC has directed RIMS

authorities to respond within four weeks.

Warm Regards,

Dipika Jain

Legal Officer

Human Righst Law Network (HRLN)

65,Masjid Road, New Delhi-14

e-mail: <hri.delhi@...>

http://www.e-pao.net/epRelatedNews.asp?src=150706 & heading=6 & mx= & ch= & sub1= & sub2=