Out of 1600 AIDS patients in Madhya Pradesh, 136 contracted the disease through transfusion of contaminated blood, Heath Minister Ajay Bishnoi told the Assembly on Thursday.

Bishnoi also said that an inquiry would be conducted to determine how contaminated blood was transfused.

An action plan was being implemented to check transfusion of contaminated blood by providing kits and equipments to the blood banks for HIV tests, he said.

Though Madhya Pradesh was categorised as a low prevalence state with regard to AIDS, 1609 cases have already been detected.

The minister said an anti-retroviral therapy centre was already functioning at the Indore Medical College Hospital, while a similar centre was proposed to be set up at Jabalpur this year.