Question : EXPIRY OF BLOOD

(a) the annual requirement of blood vis-a-vis annual blood collection in the country, State/UT-wise;

(b) the number of blood banks, particularly in rural areas alongwith the steps taken to promote blood donation in order to meet shortage of blood in the country, State/UT-wise;

(c) whether the Government has taken note of the expiry of a large quantity of blood in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS);

(d) if so, the details thereof;

(e) whether the Government has conducted any enquiry in the matter; and

(f) if so, the details alongwith the outcome thereof and the action taken/ proposed by the Government to stop recurrences of such incidences?

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI GHULAM NABI AZAD)
(a) The estimated requirement of blood in the country is 1 crore units per annum. The annual collection is 77.14 lakh units from April 2011 to January 2012. State/UT-wise list is placed at Annexure I.

(b) As per information received from office of Drug Controller General (India) there are 2517 blood banks existing in the country. Details of the same are annexed at Annexure II

The steps taken by the Government to promote blood donation in the country are as follows:

(i) Donor recruitment and retention programme

(ii) School education programme for awareness among the youth.

(iii) District wise training programme on voluntary blood donation

(iv) Sensitization workshops

(v) Celebrations of World Blood Donors Day, National Voluntary Blood Donation Day and Youth Day

(c) to (f) As per information received from AIIMS, an Inquiry Committee was constituted by the C.N. Centre, AIIMS to enquire into the news captioned “AIIMS lets precious blood go down drain” published in the Hindustan Times, Delhi on 22.01.2012. The committee found that 140 units of packed red cell were discarded. However, the frozen plasma, platelet concentrates, cryo precipitate and cryo poor plasma out of these 140 blood unit was processed, stored and used. Only packed blood cells were discarded due to expiry after 35 days.

The committee inter-alia observed there is lack of coordination among three blood banks at AIIMS, lack of policy of documentation of requests for issue and supply of blood banks within the institute and outside.

The committee inter-alia recommended computerization of CN Centre Blood Bank, transfer of blood from CN Centre blood bank to other needy blood banks after 20 days, better coordination among three blood banks of the institute, rationalization of the request for blood collection and storage, sharing of blood nearing expiry etc. The institute has initiated action on the recommendation of the committee.