DCA finds several flaws in the maintenance of blood banks in Hyderabad

Serves show cause notice to nine blood banks for initiating departmental action

HYDERABAD, FEBRUARY 22, 2024: Officials of Drugs Control Administration carried out surprise raids at nine blood banks in Hyderabad as part of a special drive on Wednesday and Thursday and found several flaws and issued show-cause notices to initiate department actions.

DCA Director-General VB Kamalasan Reddy the officials have formed into special teams were formed to carry out risk-based inspections of the blood centers comprehensively, with a focus on screening/testing the blood collected from donors for various transmissible diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Syphilis, etc. Additionally, the inspections aimed to verify the charges collected by blood banks for whole blood and blood components such as Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP), Platelet Concentrate, Packed Red Cells, etc., testing of blood components as per the ‘Guidelines issued by the Government of India in June-2022 for recovery of processing charges for blood and blood components by blood centres’, maintenance of registers/records regarding blood donation, screening of blood, testing results, etc., to ensure the maintenance of storage conditions (temperature) for blood and components, and other regulatory requirements concerning blood centers.

The raids were carried at Sri Balaji Blood Centre, Nalgonda X Roads, Malakpet, Hyderabad, Navjeevan Blood Centre, Kamala Nagar, Chaitanyapuri, Dilsukhnagar, AVS Blood Centre, Lakdikapul, Hyderabad, Rudhira Voluntary Blood Centre, Liberty Road, Himayathnagar, Prathima Sai Blood Centre, Old Lancer Lines, Beside Srikara Hospitals, Secunderabad, Thalassemia Rakshitha Voluntary Blood Bank, Putlibowli X roads, Koti, Hyderabad, Vivekananda Blood Centre, Ayodhyanagar Colony Blood Centre, Mehdipatnam, Hyderabad, Nandi Blood Centre, Balanagar X Roads, Medchal-Malkajgiri Dist and MSN Blood Centre, Uppal X Roads, Medchal-Malkajgiri Dist.

During the special raids, DCA officers detected lapses in the screening/testing of the blood at certain blood centers. For instance, AVS Blood Centre, Lakdikapul and Vivekananda Blood Centre, Mehdipatnam, failed to submit reconciliations to demonstrate that the ‘testing kits’ required to carry out tests for HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, etc., were actually procured and consumed for blood bags issued by the Blood Bank.

Certain blood banks are collecting excessive charges on whole human blood and its components, such as Single Donor Platelets, Platelet Concentrate, Fresh Frozen Plasma, Packed Red Cells, etc., without adhering to the ‘guidelines’ issued by the Government of India for the charges to be collected by blood banks.

For instance, Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP) shall be issued for Rs. 400/- as per the guidelines, whereas Sri Balaji Blood Centre, Malakpet, collected Rs. 1500/- and Nandi Blood Centre, Balanagar, collected Rs. 1400-. Platelet Concentrate shall be issued for Rs. 400/-, whereas Navjeevan Blood Centre, Chaitanyapuri, collected Rs. 1200/-. Single Donor Platelets shall be issued for Rs. 11,000/-, whereas Sri Balaji Blood Centre, Malakpet, collected Rs. 15,000/- as a processing charge.

DCA officers also detected shortcomings with respect to the calibration of certain critical equipment. For example, data loggers connected to refrigerators and deep freezers to ensure temperature maintenance are not in working condition at Prathima Sai Blood Centre, Secunderabad.

Certain blood banks are not operating under the supervision of approved technical personnel. For instance, at Prathima Sai Blood Centre, Secunderabad, blood bank staff, including medical officer, blood bank technician, and registered nurse, are not available. Similarly, at Vivekananda Blood Centre, Medhipatnam, technical supervisor is not available.

Some blood banks have failed to accurately maintain critical records. For instance, at AVS Blood Centre, Lakdikapul, records for screening/testing of blood collected for HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Syphilis, and Malaria are not being maintained. AVS Blood Centre also failed to maintain critical registers such as master record, donor record and issue register.