Arrange blood for pregnant HIV-positive woman: Court to hospital
By IANSFriday, January 14, 2011
NEW DELHI - The Delhi High Court Friday directed the Lady Hardinge Medical College and Sucheta Kriplani Hospital to immediately arrange blood for a pregnant HIV-affected woman who has been advised a Caesarean delivery.
In an interim order, Justice S. Muralidhar ordered the hospital to arrange the blood as the woman’s husband was HIV positive and could not donate blood for her.
The court fixed Jan 21 as the next date of hearing.
“There is an urgent need to issue directions to ensure the protection of the right to health and life of the petitioner’s wife and the foetus,” the court said.
“A direction is accordingly issued to the medical superintendent of the hospital to immediately arrange one unit of blood and further quantity of blood as may be required from any of the authorized blood banks,” the court added.
The court’s direction came on a petition filed by the husband who sought a direction to the hospital for arranging the blood for his wife who is in advanced stage of pregnancy.
Filing the petition, the man told the court his wife is nine months pregnant and admitted at the Lady Hardinge Medical College. She was shifted to Sucheta Kriplani Hospital following a fall in her haemoglobin level to 7.6.
According to the petitioner, he has been asked to procure one unit of blood in order to facilitate the Caesarean operation which has been recommended by doctors.
