Daltonganj: A surgeon and four other healthcare professionals at the govt-run Medinirai Medical College and Hospital (MMCH) have been put post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) after they performed a c-section on a woman who had allegedly hid her HIV infection.The woman, in her mid-twenties, who had allegedly tested negative in a rapid HIV test before surgery, delivered a healthy baby girl on June 6. On Sunday, hospital staff grew suspicious after they spotted an anti-retroviral (ART) card on her. When questioned, her husband confessed that he did not disclose the truth initially but eventually presented the card. Subsequently, the labour room was sanitised and the couple was put through counselling. This was the couple’s second child.Notably, an ART card is a medical record used to track a patient’s HIV diagnosis, treatment progress and clinical visits.As the matter came to light, Palamu civil surgeon (CS) Dr. Anil Kumar Sriwastwa sought a report from MMCH medical superintendent Dr Ajay Kumar. The five-member team was then segregated, and officials said they will be under constant medical observation for 28 days as part of PEP.Calling it an accidental exposure to an HIV-positive person, Sriwastwa said, “The woman and her husband lied. Neither of the two told the labour room team the woman was an HIV-positive person. She underwent C-section as per the medical expediency.”When asked whether an HIV test was done on her before surgery, Sriwastwa said a rapid test on her returned negative. “It does happen. When the viral load is low, an HIV person may test negative,” Sriwastwa said. “Even if a HIV test returns negative and the person is on ART, the individual has HIV without a doubt,” the CS said.He further said the HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Act of 2017 mandates that no doctor or hospital can delay or delay surgery to a person having HIV.Meanwhile, the couple alleged that they were avoided after the disclosure, moved to a separate with used bedsheets and faced trouble arranging one unit of blood. “MMCH is providing all necessary care within available resources,” Sriwastwa claimed.