The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cancelled the licences of six blood banks and suspended 21 others in Pune division for violations from April 2025 till March 2026. The authorities also cancelled the licences of three blood centres and suspended four others for offering gifts or incentives to donors in exchange for blood donation during the period, officials said on Saturday.
According to officials, show-cause notices have been issued to 39 blood banks found violating norms related to safety, storage, documentation and operational guidelines. The action was taken across Pune, Solapur, Satara, Kolhapur and Sangli districts.
The FDA Pune region has 117 blood banks and 99 blood centres registered under its jurisdiction.
According to officials, the inspections revealed multiple irregularities, including failure to adhere to mandatory quality protocols, gaps in record-keeping, and deviations from standard operating procedures meant to ensure safe collection, storage and distribution of blood.
Girish Hukare, joint commissioner, FDA (Drug), Pune region, said, “The government has set rules because blood is a sensitive serum and the rules must be followed mandatorily. If gifts are offered in exchange for blood donation, it triggers professional competition.”