In Gujarat, 23 children suffering from thalassemia have tested HIV positive at Junagadh civil hospital where they had gone for blood transfusion. State government has ordered an inquiry into how the children contracted the virus. Citing a report of the tests conducted on the children four days back, Gujarat Health Minister Jaynarayan Vyas said, over 50 per cent of the children were taking blood transfusion from multiple sources. He said, the pre-blood transfusion test conducted on children shows they were infected prior to admission in Junagadh civil hospital. Superintendent of the hospital G T Dayalu said, the blood collected both from the blood bank and from donors has been sent for testing. The children suffering from thalassemia visit the hospital from various towns of the district to avail the facility of blood transfusion which is offered twice a week free of cost. Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder in which body makes an abnormal form of haemoglobin and there is excessive destruction of red blood cells leading to anaemia.