PIL Demands Mandatory Screening to Ensure Right to Safe Blood
New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has sought detailed information regarding the cost and availability of Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing (NAT) in government hospitals across the country for detecting Transfusion Transmissible Infections (TTIs) such as HIV and hepatitis.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi asked advocate A. Velan, appearing for the PIL petitioner Sarvesham Mangalam Foundation, to clarify the financial implications of conducting NAT tests and whether the facility is accessible in government hospitals so that economically weaker patients can benefit.
The Delhi-based NGO has made the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, along with all states and Union Territories, parties to the plea. The petition seeks systemic reforms to strengthen blood safety mechanisms nationwide.
The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) urges the court to declare that the “Right to Safe Blood” is an intrinsic part of the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution. It further seeks directions to mandate NAT testing in all blood banks across India.
Specifically, the plea calls for compulsory NAT screening to detect infections such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), malaria, and syphilis in donated blood, ensuring safer transfusions for recipients.
Highlighting the plight of Thalassemia patients, the foundation stated that individuals suffering from this genetic blood disorder require transfusions every 15 to 20 days for survival. It argued that inadequate screening turns these life-saving transfusions into a serious health risk.
The petition pointed to several recent incidents described as “preventable tragedies.” In Madhya Pradesh, at least six Thalassemic children reportedly tested HIV-positive in 2025 after transfusions at Satna District Hospital. Similar cases were reported in Jharkhand, where five children were infected at Sadar Hospital in Chaibasa, and in Uttar Pradesh, where 14 children contracted hepatitis and HIV at a medical college in 2023.
Stressing that India bears one of the highest burdens of Thalassemia globally, the plea emphasized the urgent need for standardized and advanced blood screening protocols. The Supreme Court’s direction now places focus on the feasibility, cost implications, and nationwide implementation of NAT testing in public healthcare facilities.
