Conceived in 2009, the proposal to set up Metro Blood Bank also known as state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence in Transfusion Medicine in Kolkata is now moving towards reality with the Union Health Ministry inking a pact with West Bengal Government in this regard on Monday.
While the Centre will invest Rs 200 crore towards equipment, manpower and running costs, the West Bengal Government will provide land free of cost for the project meant to help strengthening the blood transfusion services in the State and the surrounding region.
The MoU was signed by R K Vats, Additional Secretary (Health) and Anil Verma, Principal Secretary Health, West Bengal Government.
Metro Blood Bank Project is scheme of the Health Ministry under which state-of-the-art Centres of Excellence in transfusion medicine will be set up in the four metro cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, said a senior official.
These centres are high volume blood collection centres where there is state-of-the-art technology in transfusion medicine for component separation, processing of blood and quality systems. Facilities for screening of collected blood by NAT would be made available at these centres and also extended to the other blood banks of the State.
The MoU for setting up the Metro Blood Bank in Chennai has already been signed on 14th June 2016.
A recently concluded assessment of licensed blood banks in the country has revealed that the average blood donation rate in India is 0.8, which is lower than many high income countries leading to a shortfall in quantum and access to safe blood in select hard-to-reach areas of the country, the official added.