Transfusion soon for blood banks in state….Sayli Udas Mankikar
New Policy – Government targets 100% voluntary non-remunerative donations
New Policy – Government targets 100% voluntary non-remunerative donations
The state government will soon formulate an action plan on the lines of the National Blood Policy to ensure easy accessibility and adequate supply of safe and quality blood and blood components. The blood will be collected/procured from a voluntary non-remunerated blood donor and will be screened for all transfusion transmitted infections.
Through the proposed policy, which is expected to be approved in a meeting to be chaired by chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Friday, the state government aims to re-organise the blood donation and transfusion services in the state.
The policy will enable the state to take stringent action against errant private blood banks and crack down on the paid blood donors racket.
So, even in emergencies, private hospitals will need to get blood from state-run blood banks. The state government will not grant permission to new private blood banks and old licences will be reviewed before being renewed. These are few of the conditions that the state plans to implement with immediate effect.
There are cases where patients have paid Rs3,000 for one bottle of blood in an emergency. In other cases, where only 250cc of blood is required, the hospital insists on five donor replacements. What happens to the remaining unused blood is anyones guess, said state health minister Suresh Shetty.
According to Shetty, the National Blood Policy will ensure quality, safety and efficacy of blood and blood products.
To implement the policy, the department will float state and regional level centres. This will be done through the state blood transfusion councils, which will streamline the blood transfusion process through state-recognised blood banks, from various NGOs and the Indian Red Cross Society.
Apart from the transfusion issues, the government aims at phase out the practice of replacement donors.
A time-bound programme to achieve 100% voluntary non-remunerative blood donation strategy will also be chalked out in Fridays meeting.
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