Parents allege 2-yr-old girl contracted HIV after blood

Parents of a two-year-old girl child suffering from a heart ailment Tuesday said she had contracted HIV after allegedly being given blood at the Medical College Hospital here.

However, the hospital Dean Ashokan denied the charge, saying she was only administered packed red blood cells to treat her underweight condition in July last year and that she might have been infected with the virus at some other hospital.

The claim by the parents comes months after a pregnant woman contracted HIV via blood transfusion at a government hospital in Sivakasi, triggering state-wide outrage.

Speaking to reporters here, Vishwanathan, the girl's father said the child was brought for a check-up at the hospital in July last year.

Later this month, the child was admitted to the hospital after she had developed some complications, and during check up it was found that she was infected with HIV.

The child was not taken to any other hospital, he said, adding in all possibility the child might ..