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`AIIMS records show girl was HIV-positive when admitted'

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

The Institute conducted an enquiry into the matter

NEW DELHI: Following allegations by relatives of a 17-year-old girl that she tested HIV-positive after being administrated contaminated blood at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here and later died of medical complications associated with pneumonia, the Institute has ordered an enquiry into the matter.

On the basis of available medical records, the Institute clarified: "The patient had tested HIV-positive when she was first admitted to the Institute on November 2, 2006, and any claims of her having tested HIV-positive due to medical negligence at the Institute is false."

This is contrary to claims made by the girl's relatives who maintained that she was HIV-negative when she was admitted to the Institute last November 2. According to them, she had tested positive only after being administered contaminated blood at the Institute.

"She was admitted with dengue and needed blood transfusion. We believe that contaminated blood was administered to the girl," alleged Bibek Pattanaik, a social worker associated with the case.

AIIMS Medical Superintendent and spokesperson Shakti Kumar Gupta said: "The patient was first admitted to AIIMS on November 2 through the hospital Casualty. At that time, she had loose motions, pain in the abdomen, blood in stools and vomiting. She had a history of having received tuberculosis treatment in 2005-06. She was provisionally diagnosed to be suffering from inflammatory bowel problem -- Crohn's disease -- and was hospitalised. She was evaluated and treated for the same. During the course of investigations, since she was suffering from Crohn's disease that is associated with immune system dysfunction, her blood was tested for HIV on November 4 and she was found to be HIV-positive. As per established protocol, the patient's attendant was advised to collect the report and send the patient for counselling."

According to Dr. Gupta, the patient was also found to have dengue fever and her low platelet count required platelet transfusion. Her treatment continued and she was discharged from the Institute on November 18, he added.

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