Indian Red Cross, a well known name in the conduct of blood donation camps and supply of blood to the patients at hospitals and the injured during natural calamities and accidents, is now involved in a controversy raising eyebrows over the quality and standards with which it has been functioning.

The controversy is related to the reported supply of HIV infected blood to a pregnant lady during delivery two months ago in a hospital at Nellore.

Reports said the pregnant woman delivered a child without any problem and during delivery the woman was transfused with fresh blood as she needed blood. However, two months after the delivery, the child was said to be inflicted with HIV virus.

When the parents of the baby questioned the hospital authorities, they put the blame on the Red Cross authorities saying the injected blood was supplied to the hospital by the Nellore branch of the Red Cross.

The parents of the HIV infected child, relatives and friends of the family today demonstrated before Red Cross office and raised slogans against it. (JUBS)