At least 10 children – between the ages of 5 and 16 – already afflicted with thalassemia, have tested positive for the HIV virus after allegedly receiving transfusions of infected blood.
The revelation, which sent shock waves through the healthcare community yesterday, was confirmed by Thalassemia Federation of Pakistan Secretary General Dr Yasmin Rashid.
She told that all the children had tested positive for HIV, but she was unwilling to lay blame on any specific individual, saying that several people in Pakistan have been given unsafe transfusions.
