Blood safety in India: What are the issues and how can they be resolved?

In Focus by The Hindu

Last month, a tragic incident took place in Jharkhand. Five children with thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder contracted HIV, following a blood transfusion. Initial investigations revealed that the blood they were given, was contaminated. While the Jharkhand government swung into action, suspending officials and announcing compensations – the fact remains that the blood that the children were given from a blood bank was unsafe. Blood is a critical compound – it is used across thousands of hospitals every day and there are regulations in place with regard to testing protocols to ensure that infected blood is not given to any patient. So where did the lapses occur? What kind of testing mechanisms do we have in place and are they sufficient? What is the ‘window period’ when it comes to infections and how can this be shortened? And how do we ensure safe blood for every patient in need?

Guest: Dr Rizwan Javed, transfusion medicine expert, Kolkata

Host: Zubeda Hamid

Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

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