The rot of unsafe blood transfusion seems to run deep in Jharkhand.

Parents of a nine-year-old thalassemic girl from Bengal met state health secretary Nitin Madan Kulkarni a couple of days ago and in writing accused a city-based private blood bank of supplying contaminated units two years ago, which led to their daughter contracting HIV infection.

“The matter is under investigation. We are studying the medical history of the girl, including details of places from where blood was procured for transfusion,” Kulkarni said.

In the past, the family from Jhalda in Purulia district of the neighbouring state had met Kulkarni’s predecessor Nidhi Khare as well. A month before seven thalassemic or haemophilic children tested positive for HIV or HCV infection at Ranchi Sadar Hospital in August, Khare had reportedly suspended operations of Archi Blood Bank in Bariatu.

On Thursday, she confirmed that the blood bank was indeed under scrutiny of the state drugs control directorate. “The family of the girl had met me in July. They were initially hesitant to lodge a complaint. I had directed the drugs control directorate to conduct an inquiry and suspended operations of the blood bank,” she said.

Deputy director of the drugs control directorate Surendra Prasad said the inquiry was on. “If the allegations of selling contaminated blood is found to be true, the blood bank concerned will lose its licence,” he added.

Eldest among four daughters of a private security guard, the child was detected with HIV during a routine transfusion for thalassemia at Rani Children Hospital in 2016. The private hospital allegedly refused to help her any further and advised the family to take her to state-run Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Bariatu.

“Not convinced that despite treatment at a private hospital my niece had got infected, we consulted a private pathological lab in Ramgarh district. Two tests turned out to be negative. But, in 2017, RIMS confirmed that my niece was indeed carrying the deadly virus in her blood,” said the girl’s uncle who accompanied the family to meet the health secretary.

Parents of the girl were reluctant to go to police or lodge a formal complaint with the authorities until recently because they feared that the blood bank in question and others would stop selling them units in the future.

“After 2016, we stopped visiting Rani Children Hospital and also did not procure blood from Archi. We visited Guru Nanak Hospital and Research Centre (in Siromtoli, Ranchi) for transfusion instead. After the day care facility opened at Ranchi Sadar Hospital in July, we go there. During counselling, we were asked to lodge a formal complaint, which we did,” the uncle said.

The family procures HIV medicines either from RIMS for free or purchases them from the market.

“Her father lost his job because he remained absent from duty often after she was detected with HIV. They mortgaged land and sold off jewellery for her treatment. Strict action must be taken against people responsible for my niece’s condition,” the uncle added.