Excess blood collection leads to blood going out of date and wasting. Also, mega blood donation camps should not be organised to curb the widespread malpractice in blood transfusion.
The State Blood Transfusion Council has also instructed all blood banks in the state to ensure that no more than 500 units of blood are collected in a single blood donation camp.
Public Health and Family Welfare Minister Prakash Abitkar held a review meeting of the State Blood Transfusion Council. Following the instructions given by Abitkar in this meeting, the council has issued instructions to all blood banks in the state regarding blood collection. Accordingly, it will now be necessary to obtain permission from the District Blood Transfusion Officer online via email to hold blood donation camps.
This permission is expected to be given by the concerned District Blood Transfusion Officer within a maximum of three days. Otherwise, if such permission is not received within three days, human permission should be assumed. However, while obtaining this permission, blood banks have been instructed to ensure that no mega blood donation camps will be organised, and to ensure that no more than 500 units of blood are collected in a blood donation camp.
Action to be taken against those who lure blood donors
In some places, blood donors are lured into voluntary blood donation camps and given expensive items as gifts. Such complaints are received by the State Blood Transfusion Council office. This is inappropriate and is in violation of Rule No. 112 EA (G) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1945. Therefore, strict action will be taken if such a thing is found.
Blood is collected in large quantities through blood donation camps with a shelf life of 35 days. The collected blood is processed and stored by blood banks. The life span of collected blood and processed red cells is 35 days. After that, these blood and red cells become unusable, so they must be used in a timely manner.
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The state needs 4,000 to 5,000 units of blood every day, of which 500 to 1,000 units are used in Mumbai alone. Private blood banks are allowed to sell excess blood to donors in other states, but government blood banks cannot sell that blood.