District administrations take steps to plug gaps after Chaibasa blood transfusion fiasco

Ranchi: In the wake of the recent botched blood transfusion at the Chaibasa sadar hospital blood bank that exposed glaring lapses in the management of blood banks across the state, district administrations have begun taking action to plug operational gaps, particularly related to manpower.In Dhanbad, the district administration deputed two counsellors at the blood bank of Shaheed Nirmal Mahato Medical College and Hospital (SNMMCH) on Thursday.While conducting an inspection at the hospital’s blood bank on Tuesday, Dhanbad DC Aditya Ranjan found no counsellors. As a result, the donors were not getting necessary advice before donating blood.“According to rules, every donor must go for counselling compulsorily before blood donation to assess their medical and travel history.

During my inspection, I came to know that an operator was serving as a counsellor here. So, I deputed two counsellors at the hospital’s blood bank. Each of them will serve three days each,” the DC told TOI.Asked whether he found any other shortcomings, he added, “There are also a few infrastructural issues, apart from some machines lying defunct. The blood bank is in need of furniture. I have received the gap assessment, and we will soon float a tender to procure them.”

In Palamu’s Medinirai Medical College and Hospital, too, a counsellor has been deputed by the district administration on Wednesday. The newly deputed counsellor, Lal Mohan, had been serving as an anti-retroviral therapy counsellor in the HIV section of the hospital.When TOI visited Ranchi sadar hospital’s blood bank on Friday, Geetanjali Choudhury, the in-charge of the blood bank, said they have been following all protocols even before the Chaibasa incident happened.“Every time a donor comes to the blood bank, we conduct necessary counselling. While the ELISA test is done here, nucleic acid test (NAT) samples are sent to Rims,” she said.Following the Jharkhand high court’s snub on Thursday, additional chief secretary of health, Ajoy Kumar Singh, issued a slew of directives, including filling of manpower in all blood banks across districts on priority and to strictly follow the guidelines of the National Blood Policy, 2002.Singh, on Friday, chaired a meeting with all the civil surgeons via video-conferencing to review the smooth functioning and monitoring of all blood banks in the state.The additional chief secretary then directed all civil surgeons to submit audit reports of blood centres in their respective districts to the department by Saturday and include their comments. During the meeting, Singh said, “All blood banks where ELISA testing is not being conducted will be closed. Emphasis must be put on increasing the number of donors and making the selection process transparent. Civil surgeons were instructed to regularly monitor all blood centres in their districts and check.

”The civil surgeons were also instructed to monitor private blood banks in their districts and asked to stop testing at banks that have not been renewed.