278 blood donors test HIV-positive in Tripura

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[Two news items on blood safety in India. Moderator]

1) 278 blood donors test HIV-positive in Tripura

2) Unsafe blood transfusions rampant

278 blood donors test HIV-positive in Tripura

At least 278 blood donors in Tripura were found to be HIV-positive,

fuelling fears that blood supplied from blood banks in the region

could be infected with the killer virus that causes AIDS.

" Appropriate methods of testing are not followed and so blood

supplied from blood banks are not considered fully safe against HIV

infection, " a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)

said.

" Of the 40 items of equipment required by blood banks, the available

items at the time of the audit ranged from four to 12. "

The CAG report followed the detection of 278 donors whose blood

tested HIV-positive during laboratory tests.

Among those whose blood samples tested HIV-positive are 189 security

personnel. The rest are civilians.

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Unsafe blood transfusions rampant

Subroto Roy

TIMES NEWS NETWORK, 9 May, 2007

PUNE: Failure to check unsafe blood transfusions in the country is proving to be

life-threatening for a large number of patients of fatal anaemia, resulting from

genetic diseases like thalassemia and haemophilia.

According to Tripti Pensi, consultant, HIV/AIDS Unicef India country office,

while the percentage of AIDS, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C virus infection in

advanced countries through the blood transfusion route is less than one per

cent, it is 2.75 per cent in India, according to Unicef and Naco (National Aids

Control Organisation).

However, there is no data available on how many anaemic patients in the country

are infected of these fatal viruses through unscientific blood transfusion.

Speaking to TOI, Sunil Lohade, president of the city unit of the Maharashtra

Haemophilia Society, said at least 10 per cent of around 10,000 haemophiliacs in

the state alone were infected by AIDS virus.

Vijay Ramanan, a haematologist attached to several top hospitals of the city,

said, " Three per cent of thalassemics get infected by AIDS, Hepatitis B and C on

their first instance of blood transfusion. The percentage goes up with

subsequent blood transfusions the patients have to undergo. "

Ramesh Arora, secretary of the Thalassemic Society of Pune, pointed out that no

blood bank in the country observes the Food and Drugs Administration's (FDA)

rule of conducting blood transfusion under medical supervision.

Interestingly, Sanjay Jadhav, director of the state blood transfusion council,

admitted that the private, trust-run and hospital-based blood banks do not

follow standard procedures. " But no blood transfusion is 100 per cent safe. We

have 2,054 registered thalassemic patients who get free blood, " he said. " But we

don't know the exact number of patients in the state, " Jadhav added.

It may be recalled that on April 4, the FDA had shut down all activities of the

Indian Serological Institute here, for violating the Drugs and Cosmetics Act,

1945, including unsupervised blood transfusions in blood camps.

Purnima Rao, who is in charge of blood transfusion at a hospital-based blood

bank in the city, has urged patients from mofussil areas to first check the

source of the blood.

Anita Kar, reader at the health sciences department of the University of Pune,

said, " For a child taking multiple blood transfusions, the fear of HIV infection

is real " .

An IIM-Ahmedabad report, titled, 'Management of blood transfusion services in

India', published in March, states that, while the clinical use of blood is not

monitored in the country, many licensed private blood banks do not report their

blood collection statistics to the respective State AIDS Control Societies

(SACS), which is illegal.

The report states that blood transfusion services have erratic blood testing

facilities and quality control of blood and blood products from blood banks to

hospitals and nursing homes is minimal.

The government's apathy in these matters is clear from the fact that the FDA

officials, who are responsible for carrying out thorough inspection once in six

months, sometimes do not even visit blood banks.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Pune/Unsafe_blood_transfusions_rampant\

/articleshow/msid-2020445,curpg-2.cms

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum Members,

Re: /message/7247

This is just shocking that 278 blood donors test found HIV positive in Tripura.

If proper study and vigerious follow-up made by the Drug Cotroller of India and

State FDCA then we may found such cases in large number.

According to my opinion if we have to control the situation,the blood should be

collected only from vol.donors and by all means we must stop proffestional

donors.

To maintain the quality of blood and its components stringent checks and

monitering should be done by the concern authorities without any compromise.

I think that at the cost of health of our brothers & sisters Drug Inspectors and

any Inspecting authorities should not encourage curruption and should be honest

for this nobel cause because we have Law,Rules,Guidelines of Shedule M,

infrastructure for inspection but unfotunetlly our deep routed currept culture

can creat any hazards.

CAG report is eye opener and we all should learn from the same to make better

and healthy world.

HEMANT NANAVATY

e-mail: <hemant_nanavaty@...>