Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (DV)
Mangaluru, Nov 11: The Dakshina Kannada unit of Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) has issued a clarification about the disposal of large quantities of expired blood, after reports appeared in the media about this.
Ronald Anil Fernandes, chairman, Blood Bank Committee, stated in a media release that IRCS Blood Bank Committee called for an emergency meeting at the IRCS Blood Bank, Government Lady Goschen Hospital premises here on November 10.
The meeting was organized in the presence of Ronald Anil Fernandes, chairman, Blood Bank Committee, IRCS, B Prabhakar Sriyan, chairman, IRCS, D K unit, Dr Susheel Jatthanna, member, IRCS Blood Bank Committee, Raveendranath K, member, IRCS Blood Bank Committee, Hanumanth Kamath, member, IRCS Blood Bank Committee, Pradeep D’Souza, member, IRCS Blood Bank Committee, Titus Noronha, member, IRCS Blood Bank Committee, Arun Suvarna, member, IRCS Blood Bank Committee, and Edward Vas, technical supervisor, IRCS Blood Bank.”
The clarification also stated that 38 units of blood out of 341 units collected in a blood donation camp held on September 26, 2014, were kept for disposal as the IRCS could not issue the blood to any needy person or exchange the same with any other hospital, despite its best efforts, before the due date, that is, October 31.
“The media reports stating that 90 units of blood were dumped in the drain is false. IRCS has a tie-up with M/s Ramkey Energy and Environment Limited for scientific disposal of bio-medical waste and IRCS disposes all bio-medical waste through proper channels. Hence, the report that waste blood was dumped in the drain is far from the truth. As the validity of 38 units of blood expired on October 31 / November 1, 2014, and as the same was NOT brought to the notice of the Blood Bank Committe chairman or any members, the members resolved to issue a memo to the technical supervisor as well as blood bank technicians.”
“All the technical staff were told to henceforth strictly take steps NOT to waste blood and take steps to issue the blood to other hospitals before the due date, that is, 35 days from the date of blood collection. The blood bank technical supervisor has also been instructed to draw the attention of the blood bank committee when there are 10 days left for the expiry of blood units.
It may be noted that the IRCS Blood Bank issued 733 units of blood to Government Lady Goschen Hospital free of cost out of the total 1,560 units collected in the year 2013-14.
“From April 1, 2014, to October 31, 2014, the IRCS Blood Bank has issued 537 units of blood to the needy free of cost (out of total 1,366 units collected). The IRCS has also been giving the blood free of cost to HIV, haemophelia, thalassemia patients, and all delivery cases at Government Lady Goschen Hospitals," stated the release.