Over 60 blood banks in C’garh likely to lose license
| Date :28-May-2019 |
Staff Reporter;
Bhilai
Over 60% registered blood banks in 27 districts in State are failing to fill the details and information to e-rakt kosh on a daily basis
If things do not fall under the parametres of Health Department, then several blood banks of public and private healthcare centres in Chhattisgarh might lose their license for running blood banks. From June, many healthcare centres will have to shut down blood banks. Over 60% registered blood banks in 27 districts in State are failing to fill the details and information to e-rakt kosh on a daily basis. The interesting part is that blood banks of remote districts such as Kondagaon, Dantewada, Bastar, Jashpur and Surguja are active in it and upload all information to the site but blood banks of big cities such as Raipur and Durg prove failure on it.
Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare conceptualised a central blood management system, where real time information about blood quantity and groups at each bank was to be uploaded on e-rakt kosh in 2016. Apart from creating a network in between blood banks as well as sparing patients the desperate running around is that is common during an emergency the idea was also to increase transparency. But the Health Department of Chhattisgarh found that from last three years, only 30% to 35% blood banks were updating their all information to the e-rakt kosh on a daily basis.
At present, only 27 of 88 registered blood banks in State were updating information as well as all details to the site regularly till May 15 of the current year. In 2018, some of the blood banks (around 14) updated information on a regular basis, but from last five months they failed to do their work properly. Meanwhile, 23 blood banks were found very inactive on it and in last 2 years they hardly uploaded information and other details, stock of blood, donors of different blood groups registered in the bank and blood transfusion in it. ‘There will be a review after 30 days and banks found lacking will lose the NOC which in turns means they will have to relinquish their license for running blood bank’ said Dr JP Meshram, Deputy Director of Chhattisgarh Health Department and senior pathology specialist.
It is centre’s order to upload the information daily and if any irregularity discover than state health department have power to cancel their license to operate the bank, added Dr Meshram. But authorities of many blood banks expressed their protest regarding this decision and state health department first should do complete investigation and then go to take any step. ‘Many public healthcares are situated in remote areas and districts that do not have proper computer with good data of internet connection. In this situation, how blood banks could upload everything on a daily basis’ said, in-charge officer of one such blood bank. Dr Debjyoti Singharoy, another pathology expert stated that it was a good initiative of the centre, though a greater need is to yet more come to come and donates the blood. The portal would help check overpricing of blood and blood products.
Currently blood banks of all districts in the state collect 10000 to 15000 blood units every day in three months of summer it has reduced to 5000 units daily. Many of the blood banks are struggling to fulfill all guidelines of the blood banks as there is a crisis of trained staffs on it. Dr S K Binjhwar, State Officer of AIDS, Sickle Cell Anemia and Blood Transfusion asserted that it is the order of union ministry of health and family welfare and state department is following its instructions about it. He pointed out that all registered blood banks should upload details every day to the portal or ready to face action from department.