Accidental needle jab passes on HIV to doctor

BHOPAL - A doctor of Hamidia Hospital here got infected with the HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) from an accidental needle jab while treating a patient Tuesday night, hospital authorities said Thursday.

On Tuesday midnight, a patient in his 30s, was admitted to the hospital with a leg fracture. The doctor treating him while performing interlocking of the patient’s bones got jabbed by an infected needle.

Later, the blood report of the patient showed that he was a HIV positive.

The shocked doctor showed the report to his department.

“We have started his (doctor’s) treatment and he has been given immunoglobulin injection,” said Hamidia Hospital dean Nirbhay Srivastava.

According to sources, at least seven junior doctors were reported to have got infected as they were not wearing gloves while treating the wounded patient. But Srivastava denied this, and said that only one doctor got infected.

The incident has created a HIV scare in the Hamidia Hospital and no one is willing to speak about it officially.