Delhi high court asks hospitals to arrange blood for pregnant HIV-hit woman

Coming to the rescue of a HIV positive pregnant woman, the Delhi high court today directed the Lady Harding Medical College and Sucheta Kriplani Hospital to immediately arrange blood for her following a dip in her haemoglobin level.

In an interim order, Justice S Muralidhar directed the hospitals to arrange the blood as her husband is a HIV positive patient and could not donate to her.

"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 both the hospitals immediately to 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 hospitals for arranging the blood for his wife who is in the advance stage of pregnancy.

Filing the petition, the man said his wife is nine months' pregnant admitted in the Lady Harding Medical College and shifted to Sucheta Kriplani Hospital following a fall in her haemoglobin level to 7.6 and the CD-4 count is 264.

According to the petitioner, he has been asked to procure one unit of blood in order to facilitate the cesarean operation which is the medically recommended practice in cases like hers.

The court fixed January 21 as the next date of hearing of the case.