Satna HIV case: Probe finds paid blood donors operated freely inside district hospital

4 min readBhopalJun 7, 2026 06:58 AM IST

Civil surgeon Amar Singh told The Indian Express that the hospital administration “doesn't tolerate paid blood donors”.

The inquiry committee constituted to investigate the HIV infection of five thalassemia-affected children in Satna has found that paid professional blood donors were allegedly operating unchecked within the premises of the district hospital, with authorities failing to curb the practice despite government norms promoting voluntary blood donation.

In findings that point to serious administrative failures beyond the blood bank itself, the committee observed that the hospital authorities “did not act against the use of paid professional blood donors despite the absence of adequate publicity regarding free blood donation services”.  The findings were recently submitted to the state health department.

“Due to the absence of publicity and awareness regarding free blood, and due to the failure to impose a ban on obtaining blood donations from paid professional blood donors when patients in the hospital premises require blood — resulting in blood being donated in exchange for money — an FIR has been registered by the district administration over such problems,” the report said.

The committee said the district hospital administration also “failed to prevent the unrestricted movement of unauthorised and suspicious persons within the hospital premises, did not ensure security arrangements as required, failed to continuously inspect the Hemoglobinopathy Centre, ICTC, ART Centre and Blood Centre”.

The observations form part of the wider investigation into how five children suffering from thalassemia, who were dependent on regular blood transfusions at Satna’s Vallabhbhai Patel District Hospital, tested HIV positive. The case first came to light in December last year, though the children were diagnosed with HIV between March and April 2025. CHMO Dr Manoj Shukla and

Civil Surgeon Amar Singh did not respond to the allegations.

Earlier investigations by the Directorate of Public Health and Medical Education had found that proper records of blood donors were not maintained, donor questionnaires were incomplete and blood was allegedly collected without mandatory health screening or haemoglobin assessment.

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Despite this, records purportedly showed all donors as having haemoglobin levels above the minimum eligibility threshold.

Investigators had also allegedly found that the blood donation room, which handled 40 to 50 donors daily, frequently witnessed the presence of unauthorised and suspicious persons. The counsellor post at the blood bank was vacant, resulting in the absence of mandatory donor counselling and screening procedures.

The probe further allegedly found deficiencies in testing blood for transfusion-transmissible infections. Between January 2024 and March 2025, 35 of the 204 blood units issued to the infected children were allegedly tested using rapid card methods instead of the more sensitive CLIA testing protocol prescribed for HIV screening. Officials attributed this to the non-availability of CLIA reagents.

The investigation examined Birla Blood Centre, a private facility whose licence had allegedly expired in August 2024, and allegedly found instances of expired blood units being issued, including one unit supplied to a girl suffering from thalassemia. The inquiry also allegedly found that donors who tested HIV-reactive were not referred to Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres as required under guidelines, and referral records were missing.

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Serious gaps were also allegedly detected in the district’s HIV monitoring system. Of 14 transfusion-transmissible infection reactive donors identified by the district hospital blood bank between January 2024 and March 2025, only five could be traced through records at the antiretroviral therapy centre. No records were allegedly found for the remaining nine donors.

Civil surgeon Amar Singh told The Indian Express that the hospital administration “doesn’t tolerate paid blood donors”.

“We have taken action against this practice periodically. In fact, just this month, I investigated a case of paid donors and wrote to the SDM for further action,” he said.

Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy.

Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free.

Expertise and Reporting Beats

Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors:

National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres.

Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA).

Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking.

Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers.

Professional Background

Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017.

Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh.

Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs.

Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife.

Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance.

Digital & Professional Presence

Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express

Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More

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