A bereaved father, Praise Mumbor, has accused a private medical facility in Benin City, Edo State, Safe Bliss Medical Centre of infecting his one-year-nine-month-old son, Jeremiah, with HIV through a contaminated blood transfusion.
The incident allegedly occurred at the facility located opposite Oliha Primary School on Siluko Road. Mumbor shared with SaharaReporters that his son, previously healthy and HIV-negative, suddenly fell critically ill on February 6, 2025. Upon arriving at the hospital, doctors said the boy’s blood level was dangerously low and required an emergency transfusion.
“I offered to donate my blood, but they told me there was no one to run the necessary tests and insisted on getting blood from a bank. I paid ₦40,000 for the transfusion,” Mumbor recounted. The procedure was done immediately, and Jeremiah was discharged two days later after receiving two rounds of transfused blood.
However, what appeared to be a life-saving procedure quickly turned tragic. Recurring Illness and Shocking Discovery
Four months later, on May 5, 2025, Jeremiah fell sick again and was returned to Safe Bliss Medical Centre. Doctors again claimed he had sickle cell anaemia and required another transfusion. But soon after, his health continued to deteriorate.
Eventually, the hospital’s management advised the family to transfer him to Edo Specialist Hospital, saying they had exhausted all treatment options. It was there that doctors ran further tests and discovered that the child had contracted HIV.
This diagnosis prompted the family to seek additional testing at Central Hospital, which confirmed that both parents were HIV-negative.
“When we informed Central Hospital about the earlier blood transfusions, it became clear what had happened,” the father said.
Mumbor immediately reported the matter to the Ministry of Justice, who instructed him to first notify the hospital involved. He returned to Safe Bliss Medical Centre with a friend posing as a legal representative to observe their reaction before heading back to the Ministry.
He later wrote a formal complaint as requested, and the Ministry invited the hospital owner to appear for a meeting. According to Mumbor, she ignored the first two invitations and only appeared on the third, bringing along a lawyer and several supporters. Despite the meeting, the Ministry of Health reportedly failed to follow up with the family, only contacting them weeks later for a private meeting where they revealed that the hospital owner refused further cooperation.
After this, Mumbor consulted a lawyer, who advised involving the police and retrieving his son’s medical records from the hospital. A formal police report was filed, and the hospital owner was invited for questioning. She arrived with multiple lawyers and the lab representative who allegedly supplied the blood. At the station, all parties were asked to explain their sides of the story.
Now pursuing legal action, Mumbor said, “All I want is justice. My son is not even two years old. He will carry this virus for the rest of his life because of their negligence.”
Attempts to contact Safe Bliss Medical Centre for a statement were unsuccessful.
Human rights advocate, Comrade Glory Omonigho, urged the Edo State Ministry of Health, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), and other relevant authorities to launch a full investigation and ensure justice. “This is not only a personal loss—it’s a serious public health concern,” he said.
Omonigho also confirmed that the Ministry of Health had shut down the hospital for operating without a valid licence.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Edo State Police Command, Yamu Moses Joel, confirmed that the matter is currently under investigation.
