Excluding a few well-known blood banks, many blood banks are not safe and they are causing tremendous infections and dreadful diseases. So, many patients are being affected by the dreadful diseases like HIV, Hepatitis B and C because of the transfusions of the blood from the different blood banks.
Children generally suffering from thalassemia are being affected mostly by these dreadful diseases like HIV, Hepatitis B and C. During the past four years, eight children who were suffering from thalassemia are being affected because of the transfusion of the blood. Among the five thalassemic children, atleast two are being affected by HIV. The children who are being affected are from the districts of Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Nizamabad, Medak, Krishna.
The blood in the many banks is suspected to be infected. According to the survey by Drug Control Administration, 219 blood banks are being tested, out of which only a handful of them met the quality standards. These infections are because of the following reasons like lack of proper air conditioners, by the usage of rapid testing methods for reducing the cost of screening. By using these different testing methods which are not detecting the infections, fatal infections are occurring.
According to the DCA top officials, out of 219 blood banks only 5 are according to the quality standards and they also said that the notices are being issued to the banks for improving the quality standards.
All the blood samples should be screened for testing whether they are affected by the communicable diseases like HIV I& II, Hepatitis C& B, malarial parasite and also to test them for the Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VDRL) as per the norms. These problems are being arised because of the lack of qualified technical persons. For every blood bank, the pathologists are necessary but many are not showing interest to work in the blood banks.
Most of the pathologists are preferring to work in hospitals rather than to work in the blood banks who are meant to check whether the blood is safe for use or not. Even the banks are hesitating to employ them because of their demand of high salaries. Apart from the government, several organizations are focusing for cutting the cost of the screening process.
Source: TOI