Decks cleared for blood centre in Supaul; Bihar’s every district will then have one

Drugs licensing inspectors from the Centre and the state licensing authority had conducted a joint inspection of the Supaul sadar hospital for the grant of blood centre licence a few months back.

PATNA: Decks have been cleared for Supaul to get its first blood centre at the district hospital after the state drug controller recommended its case for grant of licence to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) this week, said officials familiar with the matter.

There are around 110 blood centres in Bihar of which 49 are under government sector, six of the Red Cross, and the remaining 55 are private. (HT Photo)

“Each of the 38 districts of Bihar will now have a blood centre, after the DCGI nod for Supaul likely in the coming week,” said Dr NK Gupta,” additional project director, Bihar State AIDS Control Society (BSACS), also the state programme officer for blood cell.

“The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), Kolkata, recommended the case of Supaul district hospital for grant of blood centre licence a few months back,” Dr. Gupta said.

Drugs licensing inspectors from the Centre and the state licensing authority had conducted a joint inspection of the Supaul sadar hospital for the grant of blood centre licence a few months back. The joint inspection team had recommended its case, subject to compliance of certain recommendations it had pointed out, said another officer.

Thereafter, the state drugs controller sought certain clarifications, and the matter was pending for almost the last three months, before the state health brass pulled up the state drugs licensing authorities during a review meeting of the health department this week, prompting them to recommend its case to the Centre.

“I’ll have to check up... I cannot say right now if we have recommended the case of Supaul for grant of blood centre licence,” said Ghanshyam Bhagat, state drug controller, Bihar, over the phone on Sunday.

Asked about the reason for the delay, Bhagat, who took charge as the head of the state drug licensing authority in February, after the superannuation of the previous incumbent Ravindra Kumar, said: “No file is kept pending at my table beyond a day. If at all there was any time lag, it may be a procedural delay. After the joint inspection by the CDSCO and state drug inspectors, a compliance verification inspection is done to see if the objections raised have been addressed. The CDSCO nod is final, and the state cannot hold back its recommendation after it,” said Bhagat, defending himself for the delay in recommending Supaul’s case for the grant of licence.

In absence of a blood centre, residents of Supaul at present have to take blood for transfusion from the adjoining Madhepura district, which is an hour’s drive as it is around 44 kms away.

Supaul, Araria, Arwal, Banka and Sheohar do not have any private blood centre.

There are around 110 blood centres in Bihar of which 49 are under government sector, six of the Red Cross, and the remaining 55 are private.