Kerala HC Orders Government To Clarify About Compensation For Child Who Contracted AIDS During Leukemia Treatment

Ernakulam: The Kerala High Court has issued an interim order requiring the state government to inform whether compensation will be provided to the family of a child who contracted AIDS during leukemia treatment and later passed away.

The order directs the Principal Secretary of the Health Department to discuss the matter with relevant authorities and submit an affidavit within three weeks.

The intervention follows a petition filed by the father of the deceased child, a native of Alappuzha. The girl, initially treated at Alappuzha Medical College and later at the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), contracted AIDS after receiving blood from an HIV-positive donor. A flaw in the blood testing system was later discovered. The High Court has also instructed the government to provide details about the existing blood testing protocols at RCC.

The child, who was initially HIV-negative, tested positive during the course of her leukemia treatment.