Patna: A blood transfusion racket is thriving in the heart of Bihar's capital, endangering the lives of thousands of unsuspecting patients, CNN-IBN Correspondent Prabhakar Kumar finds out how this is linked to the sharp rise in HIV cases in the state.
In the narrow lanes of Patna, Kumar met L B Dubey who is a professional blood donor and he sells his blood for as little as Rs 300 to "blood brokers."
These brokers sell Dubey's blood for ten times the price to needy patients and this is done without testing the blood for any kind of contamination.
The modus operandi is simple. It begins with a search for prospective blood recipients in hospitals. The doctors and hospital employees provide the information after which, a deal is struck with the patient's attendants. That's when the professional blood donors enter the scene.
Dubey is a small fish in the blood transfusion racket. "I have no other choice, this is the only source of livelihood for me," he said.
"I supply the hospitals with blood, now whether it is contaminated or not is not my responsibility. What am I supposed to do?" a blood transfusion tout Nasim said.
The number of HIV cases in Patna has shot up and experts vouch that untested blood transfusion is one of the major causes for this.
"These bloods are not screened for mandatory tests like HIV, Hepatitis B and C and malaria," Dr. Dilip Sen, senior pathologist, Sen Diagnostic Labs said.
Lack of regulated blood banks has made it tougher for patients seeking blood transfusion and when CNN-IBN approached doctors in Patna they refused to talk about this issue.
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