Chennai: Four days after he tried to end his life, the 19-year-old man who unknowingly donated HIV infected blood, which was later transfused into a pregnant woman in Sattur, died today morning at the Rajaji government hospital in Madurai.
The man had attempted to kill himself on Wednesday. He was rushed to the Ramanathapuram government hospital immediately and was being treated there. Though his condition was thought to be stable initially, he was later transferred to Madurai hospital for extensive treatment, said the officer.
Doctors at the hospital saidsthat hat the man died of complications from his suicide attempt. He died at 8.10 this morning due to bleeding, a known complication of this kind of poison ingestion. He was treated in our hospital from 27 December.
Earlier this month, the 19-year-old man had been informed of his HIV positive status during a routine medical examination as part of a visa application process. Upon finding out, he immediately alerted authorities about recently having donated blood.
When officials tracked the donated blood, it was found that it had been administered to a pregnant 23-year-old woman from Virudhunagar districtās Sivakasi taluk. The woman was later notified and started on antiretroviral therapy (ART), which doctors say will keep the viral load (or concentration of the virus in the blood) low and would prevent the onset of AIDS. The three lab technicians responsible for the negligence have since been terminated.
The government has stated that it would take up the responsibility of the mother and childās medical expenses. She is currently undergoing treatment at Maduraiās Rajaji Government Hospital and is being monitored routinely by a team of doctors.