The Odisha High Court has served notices to the State Government and several others on the sale of blood plasma to a private company and also collection of 450 ml of blood against the stipulated 350 ml from blood donors.
A High Court Bench comprising Chief Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Dr Justice AK Rath, conducting a hearing on Tuesday on a PIl filed by voluntary blood donor A Umamaheswar Rao demanding a CBI probe into the sale of blood plasma to the private company and collection of excessive blood against what is stipulated served notices to the Chief Secretary, Health Secretary, Director of Health, CBI Director, CBI SP, Project Director of Odisha State AIDS Control Society (OSACS), Central Blood Bank Superintendent and others.
The petitioner has stated that several valuable lives are lost in the State due to shortage of blood and that several campaigns are being undertaken to create awareness among people to come forward to donate blood in large numbers.
The petitioner has alleged that the Central Blood Bank at Cuttack was collecting 450 ml of blood from some donors instead of the legally stipulated 350 ml and that too without the donors’ knowledge by using specially designed bags. The blood plasma extracted from the excess blood collected was being sold to the private company.
The petitioner has sought directions from the High Court for suitable action against the concerned individuals and a CBI probe into the incident. Dillip Ray was the pleader on behalf of the petitioner.