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16 blood banks get notice for failing to provide free blood to thalassemia patients
Sixteen blood banks in the city have been served show cause notices for allegedly not providing free blood units to patients with blood disorders.
Sixteen blood banks in the city, which act as a back-up for six blood banks with thalassemia daycare centres, have been served a show cause notice by State Blood Transfusion Council (SBTC) for allegedly not providing free blood units to patients.
The move came after a query filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act revealed that these 16 blood banks had violated a government circular issued in 2014. The circular makes it mandatory for all blood banks to provide free blood to patients of thalassemia, hemophilia, sickle cell, and any other blood disorders who require repeated transfusion.
SBTC, which is tasked with ensuring an ample supply of safe blood and blood components at reasonable costs, issued a letter to them last week.
Dr Mahendra Kendre, assistant director of SBTC, said, “We conducted an inquiry based on the RTI response and found that none of the 16 blood banks provided free blood units to the six blood banks with daycare centres. We have sent them a letter along with a copy of the 2014 circular, instructing them to ensure compliance with the norms.”
The investigation, another SBTC official said, revealed that the six blood banks had failed to communicate their requirements to their back-up centres.
“The daycare centres, where transfusion occurs, are attached to six blood banks responsible for meeting the demand. If additional blood units are needed, the back-up banks should assist. However, we found that the parent blood banks did not communicate their requirements to the back-up blood banks,” Dr Kendre said.
Vikas Vira from NGO Tarun Mitra Mandal, which aids in organising blood donation camps, highlighted a major issue faced by thalassemia patients.
“There must be one or two incidents where a thalassemia patient may have been charged for blood, but the major problem faced by them is being asked to arrange blood for the transfusion. This happens more during a shortage. It is also observed that the blood banks do not treat thalassemia patients on a priority basis when there is a shortage of blood,” he said.