Forced blood exchanges under scanner

Mumbai: The State Blood Transfusion Committee (SBTC) is conducting a survey to find hospitals that insist on replacing blood for a patient in return for that of the patients’ relatives.

According to the officials of SBTC, insisting on a replacement blood donor is a crime.

The government runs 74,231 blood banks and centres by different trusts, private organisations run 14 blood banks and the Indian Red Cross Society runs 12.

The National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC) decides the cost for blood units. The SBTC has now instructed all hospitals to stop asking for replacement and instead achieve 100 per cent voluntary blood collection for patients.

Dr Arun Thorat, director, Maharashtra SBTC, said, “The decision has been taken to stop the exploitation of patients’ kins during medical emergencies. Hospitals do frequently ask friends and relatives of a patient to donate blood to restore the units utilised. However, this is not permitted. We already have issued the guidelines to all the private, government and civic-run hospitals on not to insist for a replacement blood donor.”

“We request people to complaint to SBTC if someone asks for the replacement of the donor. If any of the hospital was found to be charging for more than the processing fee for blood or asks for a replacement, we will take stringent action,” he added.

The SBTC has started a survey across the state to see who are violating the norms. Forcing anyone or asking for replacement of donors is a violation of NBTC policy and hospitals can face serious action if found guilty, officials said.