Red tape sees blood centre lie unused

In 2014, Directorate of Health Services (DHS) announced the establishment of a blood shortage centre at VN Desai Hospital that would supply blood on-call service on motorbikes to needy patients. But even three years after it was initially approved (in June 2013), the storage centre at the hospital is lying in a non-functional condition devoid of manpower and infrastructure. The project was approved on June 11, 2013, but since then, the project has been pending. About 100 square feet of the centre has been constructed at the ground floor of the hospital located in Santa Cruz (east). Civil work and painting has been completed. An air condition machine has also been installed in the room and expensive medical equipment have been procured but all are lying unused.

The reason behind this is that though it is a blood storage centre, there is no freezer to store blood. The centre does not have a single staff member deployed on the premises. This information has been procured by a doctor through a Right to Information (RTI) query.

Talking to The Asian Age, the doctor said, “The government declared it would start nine new centres for blood storage across the city, including this one. It was supposed to be linked with 104 toll-free numbers that would provide blood on motorbikes to needy people. It was declared with much fanfare but nothing has been done. It could have benefited so many people but like other centres, this is also stuck in red tapism.”

The application stated, “The procurement of instruments from BMC side is nil.” In fact, neither BMC nor State Blood Transfusion Council has provided any manpower to run the centre. As stated in the RTI, “Manpower is not provided by SBTC. Further no BMC employee is posted in the project.”

So far, only the construction plan for the storage of blood has been approved by Food and Drugs Authority, but the hospital has not procured the licence to run the centre yet.

When asked about the reason for the delay, Dr Ashok Ghongade, medical superintendent of the hospital said, “Works are underway and will be completed soon. We are waiting for some machines so as soon as we receive them, the remaining work will be completed.”