India with the population of 1.2 billion people needs 12 million units of blood annually but collects only 9 million — a 25 per cent deficit. And in summers, the shortfall often hits over 50 per cent, said health experts.
While blood banks always cater to patients when they need blood transfusion, health experts across the globe say there should be Patient Blood Management (PBM) system followed by the doctors in the country.
PBM is an international initiative in best practice for transfusion medicine. The concept was highlighted in 2010 by the World Health Assembly as an important concept to improve patient’s safety.
Dr Kalus Gorlinger, a top-level medical expert from Germany, who is also the medical Director of Tem Intensive of Tem International who was recently in India told The Pioneer, “If doctors follow the PBM, they can provide quality treatment to patients and the same should be followed by the medical practitioners”.
Most of the countries such as Australia, USA, Japan, most of European countries have implemented the concept of PBM. According to health experts, till now, India has not developed protocol for PBM though the concept is in use in a limited way.
“For point of care treatment, PBM should be followed. This will ensure improved patient outcomes by minimising use of blood transfusion through evidence-based and targeted rather than behaviour-based use of blood products. This minimises risks of mortality, morbidity, hospital acquired infection - sepsis - arising from RBC transfusion. It also leads to reduction in costs to patient, hospitals, and other stakeholders like medical insurance companies and blood banks,” said Dr Rajesh Kumar Chand, Director in Cardiac Anaesthesiology at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket.