The father of a nine-year-old leukemia patient who has tested positive for HIV infection allegedly after undergoing a series of blood transfusion at the Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, on Friday filed a writ petition in the Kerala High Court seeking compensation for the medical negligence.
In his petition, the father of the girl said that his daughter had tested HIV positive during the blood transfusions after being admitted in the RCC. In fact, she was referred to the RCC from the Alappuzha Medical College for treatment of blood cancer. The transfusion was done by the blood taken from the blood bank of the RCC.
He pointed out that the test done for HIV during her admission to the RCC was negative. The patient admitted for cancer was now an HIV-infected one. The negligence of the hospital authorities had violated his daughter’s natural right and right to live guaranteed under the Constitution, he said. The State Human Rights Commission and the Child Rights Commission had intervened and directed the government and the hospital to take urgent action. However, nothing had been done by the government except constituting an inquiry commission.
The petitioner sought a directive to implement the order of the State Human Rights Commission and Child Rights Commission recommending various actions including compensation.
