Processing charges for blood, component increased

The public health department in Maharashtra has increased charges for whole blood and packed red cells, but not for other blood components. The revised rates have already been implemented in blood banks.

Mumbai: Following the National Blood Transfusion Bank (NBTC) increasing processing charge for blood and blood components in June last year, the state public health department has decided to increase the charges of whole blood and packed red cells in the state.

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However, the department has decided not to hike the charges for other blood components like fresh frozen plasma, platelets, and cryoprecipitate (a frozen blood product prepared from blood plasma).

“The new rates have already been implemented in blood banks,” Dr Arun Thorat, assistant director of the State Blood Transfusion Council (SBTC), said.

A state health official said the rates have increased after five years.

Earlier, the rate of whole blood was ₹850 per unit in government and ₹1,450 per unit in private blood banks.

With the revised rates, whole blood now costs ₹1,150 per unit in government and ₹1,550 per unit in private blood banks. The state has 336 blood banks, of which 58 are in Mumbai.