By SUDHIR KUMAR MISHRA

Ranchi: The public healthcare system in Jharkhand is in the eye of the storm after recent reports of six children getting infected with HIV following transfusion of contaminated blood. The victims, aged between six and ten years, are thalassemia patients who need regular blood transfusion every fortnight.

While five cases were reported from Chaibasa, the sixth one was traced to Koderma. All received blood from the blood banks run by the Sadar Hospital of respective districts. The incident has shed light on the inadequate, inefficient and unscientific management of blood banks by the state's health department.

A few examples are enough to paint the correct picture. The blood bank run by the Red Cross Society in Ranchi has been pulling on without a valid license for

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