A devastating case of alleged medical negligence has emerged from Edo State, where a toddler, Jeremiah Mumbor, has reportedly contracted HIV following a blood transfusion at a private medical facility, Safe Bliss Medical Centre, located on Siluko Road, Benin City.
The child’s father, Mr. Praise Mumbor said that his one-year and nine-month-old son, previously HIV-negative, tested positive for the virus after receiving blood transfusions at the clinic earlier this year.
According to Mr. Mumbor, neither he nor his wife, Elisa Mumbor, is HIV-positive, a fact confirmed by repeated tests at multiple hospitals, including the Military Hospital in Benin. He claims that their son’s infection is a direct result of contaminated blood used during a transfusion at Safe Bliss Medical Centre.
“At the military hospital, they confirmed that my wife and I are negative, but our son is positive,” Mr. Mumbor said. “So my son will live with HIV forever because of a hospital’s carelessness.”
The initial transfusion took place on February 6, 2025, after the child was rushed to the clinic in a critical condition. Mr. Mumbor said he volunteered to donate blood for his son, but the clinic insisted on using blood from a blood bank, citing the unavailability of staff to screen him.
The family paid ₦40,000 for the transfusion, and the child was discharged two days later. However, in the months that followed, the boy’s health continued to decline. A second transfusion was performed in May after a recurrence of symptoms, and just weeks later, the child tested positive for HIV at Edo Specialist Hospital.
Further confirmatory testing at Central Hospital and the Military Hospital affirmed the diagnosis and ruled out parental transmission.
In response to the incident, the Mumbor family contacted the Edo State Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Health. Multiple summons were reportedly issued to the clinic’s proprietor, who allegedly failed to attend initial meetings, eventually appearing with legal representation.
Despite assurances of an investigation, Mr. Mumbor says authorities have been slow to act decisively. Frustrated by the delay, he lodged a formal complaint with the police and sought legal counsel to pursue justice.
“All I want is justice,” he said. “My son is not even two years old. Now he will live with this forever.”
Human rights activist Comrade Glory Omonigho, who is assisting the family, has called for immediate action from the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), the National Blood Service Commission (NBSC), and the Edo State government.
“This is not just a personal tragedy — this is a public health emergency,” Omonigho said. “If a licensed hospital is using unscreened or contaminated blood, how many others might be at risk?”
The Edo State Ministry of Health has since sealed Safe Bliss Medical Centre, confirming that the facility was operating without a valid medical license.
Police Investigation Underway
Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, Yamu Moses Joel, confirmed that an investigation is ongoing.
“The case is under investigation"
The Mumbor family says they will pursue full legal redress and are calling on the federal government and health authorities to ensure accountability and prevent a recurrence of such a tragedy.
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