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**Headline: Advocacy Group Calls for National Blood Safety Standards After Thalassemia Patient’s HIV Ordeal**

**NEW DELHI, July 17, 2025** – The Thalassemia Patients Advocacy Group (TPAG) and medical experts are urging the Indian government to implement standardized blood screening practices across the nation, particularly a mandatory Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) system, following a disturbing case highlighting the potential risks of transfusion-transmitted infections.

During a discussion held today at the India International Centre in Delhi, the group emphasized the urgent need to improve blood safety protocols. Their call to action comes after a 23-year-old Thalassemia patient from Kolkata shared her experience of contracting dengue and later testing positive for HIV after receiving blood transfusions since the age of two. While she cannot definitively say the infection came from a transfusion, it highlighted the importance of the screening process.

“From the age of two, I have been taking blood transfusions,” she stated. “When I was in Class 8, I contracted dengue and then tested positive with HIV. I don’t know for sure if I got it during the blood transfusion or not, but the testing has an important role to play.”

Currently, NAT, considered the “gold standard” for detecting infectious diseases in donated blood, is not universally mandated in India. While some hospitals utilize it, others do not, creating a potential risk for vulnerable patients requiring regular transfusions.

Tuhin A. Sinha, a BJP spokesperson present at the discussion, pledged to advocate for the group’s cause, emphasizing the need for nationwide NAT implementation. He also suggested incentivizing blood donations to ensure a robust and reliable blood supply.

Anubha Taneja Mukherjee, Member Secretary of TPAG, stated that the group will submit formal recommendations to the government. These recommendations include:

* Mandatory NAT screening for all donated blood.
* A national-level blood donation campaign involving influencers.
* Mandatory thalassemia screening for pregnant women.
* Increased availability of novel therapies like gene therapy to reduce dependence on blood transfusions.

Supreme Court advocate P.C. Sen underscored the legal and ethical obligations of the state to ensure pathogen-free blood as a constitutional right. Former Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Professor N.K. Ganguly, recommended including patients with other blood disorders, such as sickle cell anemia, in the scope of improved screening programs.

The TPAG, a network of over 10,000 thalassemia patients, hopes that its advocacy will lead to significant improvements in blood safety standards, safeguarding the health of patients reliant on blood transfusions.

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