Blood donor from Badin dies of HIV at JPMC in Karachi

HYDERABAD: A blood donor from Badin who had contracted HIV has died at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) after he was brought to Karachi for treatment.

Some three weeks ago his relatives had taken him to the Indus Hospital Badin in a critical condition, and from there he was taken to the Civil Hospital Hyderabad, following which he was referred to the JPMC. He died around a fortnight after being admitted at the Karachi hospital.

According to local journalist Anwar Ali Abbasi, the deceased had been a rickshaw driver. Due to a lack of knowledge of the disease, he had donated blood to more than five people in his village.

Doctors at the JPMC had written to Badin’s district health officer (DHO) to conduct HIV tests of the family of the deceased youth and the five children who he had donated his blood to. Their blood samples have been obtained in Badin.

Abbasi said fear has spread in the village after the news of the youth’s death due to HIV. The residents have requested the DHO to conduct HIV/AIDS tests of the young man’s family and all the locals.

After he died, the residents near the Pingriu Sugar Mill in District Badin brought his body to his native village and buried him at a local graveyard. When his brother was contacted, he said that two Badin doctors had taken the blood samples of 12 people.

Moreover, according to DHO Dr Sher Muhammad Nahyu, a team from Badin will be sent again on Monday (today) to take the blood samples of the villagers and raise awareness of HIV/AIDS.