MP: Three arrested for selling blood outside Satna hospital after children found HIV positive
Satna (MP) (PTI): Three people were arrested on Thursday for their alleged involvement in the sale of blood outside the government hospital in Satna where six children have been found to have contracted HIV during transfusion, officials said.
The racket was busted by sending a decoy customer, and probe was on as to whether any of the employees of the blood bank at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Government Hospital was involved in the illegal trade, they said.
"There were frequent complaints of people offering to sell blood outside the hospital. Following this, a person was sent as a buyer for verification," sub-divisional magistrate Rahul Siladia told PTI Videos.
A man offered him a unit of blood for Rs 4,500 and was arrested during the actual transaction, the SDM said, adding that two more people were arrested following his questioning.
The police also shot a video of the transaction.
A police officer identified the accused as Ranjeet Sahu, Mohammad Kaif and Anil Gupta. Police were investigating whether the any staff member of the hospital's blood bank was involved in this trade, he added.
In a shocking revelation, six children treated at the hospital for thalassemia -- which requires periodic blood transfusion -- were on December 16 found to have contracted HIV after receiving contaminated blood.
The Madhya Pradesh government has formed a six-member committee to investigate this matter.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
