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Aug
FAMILY SEEKS JUSTICE AFTER BABY CONTRACTS HIV THROUGH BLOOD TRANSFUSION AT EDO HOSPITAL
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CapitalTimesNews / 6 months
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- 2 min read
A family in Benin City, Edo State, is demanding justice after their one-year-and-nine-month-old son, Jeremiah, was allegedly infected with HIV through a contaminated blood transfusion at Safe Bliss Medical Centre. According to the father, Praise Mumbor, his son fell critically ill on February 6, 2025, and was rushed to the hospital, where doctors claimed the boy’s blood level had dropped dangerously low. Mumbor said he offered to donate his own blood, but the hospital insisted on purchasing blood from a blood bank, charging ₦40,000 for the transfusion. “I paid ₦40,000 for the transfusion, which was carried out immediately. The baby was discharged two days later after receiving two rounds of transfused blood,” Mumbor recounted. However, months later, after a second transfusion, Jeremiah’s condition worsened, and he was referred to Edo Specialist Hospital, where he tested positive for HIV. Additional tests confirmed the result, while his parents, Praise and Elisa Mumbor, tested negative. “My son isn’t even two years old yet, and now he has to live with this disease for life because of medical negligence,” Mumbor lamented. “All I want is justice.” The family reported the incident to the Edo State Ministry of Justice and later to the police. The hospital owner was invited for questioning but appeared with multiple lawyers and the lab representative who allegedly supplied the blood. The Ministry of Health has since sealed Safe Bliss Medical Centre for operating without a valid practicing license. Human rights activist Comrade Glory Omonigho has called for urgent action by government bodies, saying, “This is not just a personal tragedy — this is a public health emergency.” The Edo State Police Command has confirmed that an investigation is underway. The case highlights the need for robust enforcement of health regulations in Nigeria and proper oversight of private hospitals. The family is now seeking legal redress, determined to ensure accountability and prevent similar tragedies from recurring.