New Delhi, Oct 19 (IANS): The health ministry has permitted transfer of blood from one blood bank to another, a step that will help in transferring blood to the hospitals that face scarcity, an official statement said on Monday.

The ministry has also fixed an exchange value for surplus plasma available at some blood banks in the country.

"Now, an exchange value of Rs.1,600 per litre of plasma has been fixed and the blood banks with surplus plasma can exchange it for consumables, equipments or plasma derived products, as per their need," the health ministry said in the statement.

"Earlier, in the absence of the enabling provision, surplus plasma was traded or sold by the blood banks without any regulation whatsoever," the statement said.

The decision was taken after the recommendations made by the National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC), an apex body for formulating policy matters pertaining to the organisation, operation, standards and training of a sustainable and safe blood transfusion service for the country.