Know the Law and List of Blood Banks in West Bengal

Blood banks near your home

The List of State Govt. Blood Banks along with their addresses

Date: 06/11/2023

Introduction

Blood is an essential component of the body which provides sustenance to life. There can be no greater service to the humanity than to offer one’s blood to save the life of other fellow human-beings. At the same time blood, instead of saving life, cannot lead to death of the person to whom the blood is given if the blood is contaminated. As a result of developments in medical science it is possible to pre-serve and store blood after it has been collected so that it can be available in the case of need. There are blood banks which undertake the task of collecting, testing and storage the whole blood and its components and make the same available when needed, In view of the dangers inherent in supply of contaminated blood it must be ensured that the blood that is available with the blood banks for use is healthy and free from infection [Common Cause vs Union Of India And Others-SC -04/01/1996]

The government of India adopted the National Blood Policy (2002) and an Action Plan for Blood Safety (2003) “to launch intensive awareness programmes for donor information, education, motivation, recruitment and retention in order to ensure adequate availability of safe blood”. In 1945 at the time of II world war, the first blood bank in Kolkata was inaugurated.

Blood Bank means a place or organisation or unit or institution or other arrangements made by such organisation, unit or institution for carrying out all or any of the operations for collections, aphaeresis, storage, processing and distribution of blood drawn from donors and/ or preparation, storage and distribution of blood components¹.

As of September 2013, 109 blood banks were functioning in the State of which 58 were managed by the State Government, 16 by the Central Government and 35 by private organisations. Collection of blood units in the State Government blood banks accounted for 61 to 66 per cent of total collection in the State.

State Blood Transfusion Council (SBTC), with the Secretary, of the Health & Family Welfare (H&FW) Department as its President, is entrusted with the entire range of services² related to the operation and requirements of blood banks. The Drugs Controller, (DC) West Bengal is the regulatory body³ responsible for the issue of license, inspections, and renewal of licenses of blood banks after being satisfied with the availability of required infrastructure and manpower.

Records of H&FW Department, SBTC, WBSAP & CS and Drugs Controller, West Bengal and of 198 of the 58 State Government-managed blood banks (including Institute of Blood Transfusion Medicine and Immuno-haematology (IBTM&IH) better known as Central Blood Bank; seven Medical College and Hospital (MCHs)) selected randomly were examined to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of existing blood storage facilities in the State⁴.

Regulation

For the purpose of regulating its collection, storage and supply, blood is treated as a `drug’ under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 (hereinafter p referred to as sthe Act’). In the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 (hereinafter referred to as `the Rules’) made under the Act, provisions regarding equipment and supplies required for a blood bank were contained in Part XII-B, which was inserted vide Notification dated June 24, 1967. In the said part, requirements regarding Equipment, Blood collection supplies, Canter equipment and Emergency equipment for the Blood Donor Room were prescribed. Similarly provisions were made for the Laboratory, General suppliers, Technical staff, Accommodation for Blood Bank, Label for whole blood and Colour scheme for Label etc.

The D&C Rules, 1945 inter alia provided that equipment used in the collection, processing, testing, storage and sale/ distribution of blood and its components are to be checked, standardised and calibrated regularly. The frequency of calibration of various equipment was also prescribed in the said rule.

Licensing of blood banks

The System of licensing of blood banks will be strengthened to ensure that all quality banks operating in the country are equipped with licenses within a period of not more than one year. Whether any blood banks remain ill-equipped for being licensed, and remain unlicensed after the expiry of the period of one year, their operations should be rendered impossible through suitable action under appropriate legislation. It shall be a policy objective of the Ministry of Health as well as the National Council and the State Councils established on the basis of these recommendations that the prevalent system of professional donors is discouraged through utilisation of all appropriate media, through withdrawal of licenses where any such blood bank has been licensed, and by launching prosecutions under the appropriate provisions of law. The objective of total elimination of professional donors should be achieved in at period of not more than two years through utilisation of all requisite measures. For attainment of objectives & programmes of the local organisations, the State Govt. will be approached for providing the requisite Inspectorate for continuing inspection of blood banks. [Common Cause vs Union Of India And Others-SC -04/01/1996-(1996) 6 SCC 775 : 1997 SCC (Cri) 42 : AIR 1997 SC 1539]

Record maintenance of donor selection

Drugs and Cosmetics Rules 1945 required maintenance of blood donor record in each blood bank indicating inter alia serial number, date of collection, name, address and signature of the donor with other particulars of age, weight, haemoglobin level, blood group, blood pressure etc. with the signature of the
Medical Officers to ensure that blood was not collected from ineligible donors. The blood banks maintain such records through Donor’s Screening Card (Government rate of Rs 500 per unit)⁵.

Government blood banks collect whole blood by attending blood donation camps organised by NGOs. The blood banks were required to submit month-wise report to WBSAP & CS on collection vis-à-vis supply of whole blood as well as components thereof.

The department stated (August 2014) that they use Raktim software, a new software was being developed as a special project through WEBEL for record maintenance⁶.

As per Rule 52 of Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, Drug Inspectors are to inspect all premises licensed for
manufacture of drugs at least once a year inter alia to satisfy that all provisions of the D&C Act and Rules framed there under are duly complied with.

National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH)

Benefits of Blood Bank Accreditation

All aspiring Blood Centres desirous to achieve accreditation can apply online by registering on the NABH website.

1. it is a unique programme, very few countries have an accreditation programme for blood bank
   2. Ensures standardisation of protocols leading to adherence to quality and safety protocols in a blood centre
   3. Improves the skills and competencies of staff of the blood bank.
   4. Increases community confidence as adherence to accreditation standards ensures the provision of safe blood and blood products for transfusion
   5. Helps in promoting medical tourism

List of State-sponsored Blood Banks

Ministry of Health signs MoU with Government of West Bengal to set up Centre of Excellence in Transfusion Medicine

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Government of West Bengal to formalize its support to set up a state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence in Transfusion Medicine at Kolkata, here today. The government of India has approved this important initiative with an outlay of approximately Rs.200 Crores towards equipment, manpower and running costs. The land for this initiative will be provided free of cost by the State government. The move intends to strengthen the blood transfusion services in the State and the surrounding region. Shri R K Vats, Additional Secretary (Health) and Shri Anil Verma, Principal Secretary Health, Government of West Bengal signed the MoU on behalf of their respective Ministries.

Metro Blood Bank Project is conceived to be a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to set up state-of-the-art Centres of Excellence in transfusion medicine in the four metro cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. These centres are high volume blood collection centres where there is state-of-the-art technology in transfusion medicine for component separation, processing of blood and quality systems. Facilities for screening of collected blood by NAT would be made available at these centres and also extended to the other blood banks of the State.

Approval of Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare has been accorded for the first phase, wherein these facilities are to come up in Chennai and Kolkata. The National Blood Transfusion Council under National AIDS Control Organization will be the implementing division of the Ministry for this project. The MoU for setting up the Metro Blood Bank in Chennai has already been signed on 14th June 2016.

India collects near about 11 million blood units every year. Nearly 71% of these blood donations are collected through voluntary non-remunerated donors. A recently concluded assessment of licensed Blood Banks of India revealed that the average blood donation rate in India is 0.8, which is lower than many high-income countries leading to a shortfall in quantum and access to safe blood in select hard-to-reach areas of the country. Rational use of blood also needs to be ensured to enhance utilization, as one unit of blood can benefit more than one beneficiary through separation into red cells, plasma, and platelets.

Notes