Blood and its components will cost minimum Rs 1,200 per unit as the Chhattisgarh Association of Blood Banks has decided to increase the service charge. The revised rates will be applicable from November 9. The rates will further go up by 10 percent every year.
“It has become impossible for us to test, store blood, manage expenses of the blood bank, and pay salary to staff on rates of 2007 and this is why we have decided to increase the service charge,” said president of Chhattisgarh Association of Blood Banks Dr Manoj lanjewar in a press conference in the city. The present service charge on blood according to National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) guidelines issued on 2007 is Rs 850.
When asked why there is a huge gap between the rates in government-run and private blood banks, lanjewar said that cost of machinery worth crores to test blood, infrastructure, and salary of staff is borne the government and thus they can afford to continue on 2007 rates. Without proper tests and precautions, several diseases like AIDS, typhoid, hepatitis etc can be transferred to patient. As technology advanced, cost of testing blood for diseases has risen. “Chhattisgarh has managed to keep the anomalies less than one percent '' he said.
He said private blood banks in the state are not given permission by the state government to organise blood donation camps. This focuses their dependency of voluntary donors and makes it difficult to meet the rising needs in the city. However, patients from low-income groups will be given relaxation on humanitarian grounds, lanjewar said.
Responding to a question, lanjewar accepted that there is a difference between the rates at which blood is provided by the banks during the day and night time for emergency cases. He, however, said they condemn such act and request the blood banks to operate according to the NACO guidelines.