Savitri (name changed) never thought her life would change beyond redemption when she was admitted a year ago to the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) Hospital in Hubli for the delivery of her second child.
The 26-year-old, hailing from Old Hubli and married to a resident of Kalaghatagi in Dharwad district, was given blood after the delivery of the child.
One year later
She alleges, a year later, that it was this blood that made her HIV positive.
Her husband deserted her the day he discovered his wife was infected. To add to her grief, her second child passed away recently. Now, her brother Prakash K., who earns a livelihood by running an autorickshaw, is taking care of her and has approached the district authorities seeking justice for his sister.
He claims documents clearly indicate that infection occurred through blood transfusion.
He has approached the District Aids Prevention Officer with all the medical documents. The official, S.M. Honakeri, when contacted by The Hindu , said he had sought details on the case from a private blood bank from where the allegedly infected blood was taken. “I will also inquire with the KIMS doctors on the case before arriving at any conclusion,” he said.
Auto drivers in Hubli are planning a protest to express support to Savitri and her brother on Friday.
Anaemic
When Savitri was admitted in May 2012, the doctors found her anaemic and asked her family members to arrange for O +ve blood. Her brother then approached a private blood bank in the city as the blood of that group was not available at the KIMS blood bank.
Her brother then donated blood in return for O +ve blood, which was given to Savitri, who delivered a baby boy on June 6.
Although Savitri wanted to undergo tubectomy immediately, doctors advised her against it as she was still anaemic and asked her to come back after a few months.
However, when Savitri returned to KIMS for the tubectomy in May this year, she had the shock of her life when her blood reports indicated that she was infected with HIV and the doctors said she couldn’t be operated upon. Her shocked family members were told by doctors that she was not infected before the delivery.
They were also concerned that Savitri could have been infected through the blood given to her.
Savitri was immediately put on ART treatment at the ART centre at KIMS and was advised not to feed the baby. Her first son, who is four years old, is now with her.
Found negative
On getting to know that his sister was HIV +ve, her brother got Savitri’s husband and her son to undergo a blood test, and they turned out to be negative.