The State Blood Transfusion Council, which was formed with the aim of ensuring adequate supply of safe blood at reasonable cost in the state, has been facing difficulties as the thalassemia and haemophilia patients have not had a full-time assistant director for three months. As there is no full-time assistant director, patients of thalassemia, haemophilia have to make frequent appeals to get identity cards for blood. Also due to this, the council is facing difficulties in controlling the functioning of the blood banks that supply blood to the hospitals.
Blood collection, testing and distribution of blood through registered blood banks in the state is controlled by the State Blood Transfusion Council. When there is a possibility of shortage of blood in the state, the council orders the blood banks to organise blood donation camps immediately. There are currently 250 registered blood banks functioning in the state. Out of these, 31 are large blood banks, while 41 are at the district level.
The work of controlling the blood banks is done by the State Blood Transfusion Council. After then Assistant Director Dr Arun Thorat retired on March 31, the additional charge of the post was handed over to Mahendra Kendra. Centres have many responsibilities within the Directorate of Health Services. He administers the council through the Directorate of Health Services. Therefore, the work of the council has been going on at a very slow pace for the last three months. Thalassemia and Hemophilia patients are affected by this.
Children with thalassemia and haemophilia require blood transfusions after certain days. In this, patients from poor families cannot afford to buy blood every time. Hence, a specific identity card is issued to such patients by the council. This allows them to get free blood from any registered blood bank in the state. Therefore, parents of young children with thalassemia and haemophilia bring them to the council office. However, the signature of the Assistant Director is required on the identity card received after application. So this identity card has to be sent to the Directorate of Health Services. This process takes time and the patient and their parents have to go through two-three rounds for the identity card. Patients coming from Mumbai and its surroundings or from outside are suffering a lot. Therefore, there is a demand to appoint a full-time person as Assistant Director of the Council.
Milind Mhaiskar, additional chief secretary of the public health department and chairman of the state blood transfusion council, did not respond in this regard.
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