Overview
- Authorities suspended blood bank in-charge Dr Devendra Patel and lab technicians Ram Bhai Tripathi and Nandlal Pandey, and issued a show-cause notice to former civil surgeon Dr Manoj Shukla.
- An initial inquiry found failures to maintain donor records, missing kit batch documentation, and improper or skipped mandatory HIV testing before transfusions.
- Six thalassaemia patients, some treated in Satna and other district hospitals, were confirmed HIV positive after transfusions reported between January and May, and all have been started on ART.
- State and central teams, including SBTC, NACO and CDSCO, are auditing procedures and tracing nearly 200 donors, with officials reporting difficulty locating many due to incorrect addresses.
- Police arrested three people for allegedly selling blood near the hospital as investigators examine any links to hospital staff, and the NHRC sought reports from all states and UTs on safeguards.