The system of blood banks run by Government in the State is in absolute mess. There are credible reports of Government blood banks being run without proper licencing or running even after the licence is expired. There are reports suggesting that the blood banks — in some districts of State – exist only on paper.
There are also reports suggesting that all tests required before blood donations are not conducted on the donor. There are very counted number of hospitals that give proper refreshments to the donors after they donate their blood.
As per information shared by a social activist, who has been across the State for the welfare of HIV+ people the blood bank situated at Sadar Hospital, Hazaribagh is running despite the fact that licence issued has expired.
“It is illegal to run blood banks after their licences have expired. And such centers have to get their licences renewed,” said Chairman of Jharkhand State AIDS Control Society, BP Chourasia.
Blood Bank in-charge of one of a Government Blood Bank in Ranchi said that refreshment was not offered to the blood donors across the State- with some
exceptions. “At any outdoor blood donation camp we make arrangement of refreshments but here at Hospital we are unable to provide the refreshments because the clerk who had to clear many formalities before the refreshments are offered to blood donors,” said the blood bank in-charge of Blood Bank situated at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS).
On this the social activist put the question, “Where does the money allocated to the blood banks for giving refreshments go if it is not given to the donorsIJ”
When this question was asked to State’s Joint Director of Blood Safety Raghunath Pratap Singh he outright denied any allegations of such misconduct. He had not even accepted what the blood bank in-charge in State capital had mentioned.
“The information you have shared is not correct. Money is issued to the blood banks and the blood donors are provided the refreshments,” he said.
In many districts of the State there are no government blood banks and even if they are they exist only on paper. The blood bank in latehar is closed despite licence being in place for it. The blood bank at Saraikela and Chatra had been passed and licenced. Selections of staffs meant to serve there had been made. But the blood bank exits nowhere and the employees benefit the pay and perks.
“The staffs at the two blood banks have been deputed to serve at different banks. These two cities have got only their blood storage centers,” said the Joint Director.
In many districts no blood bank exits. Such names include the names of Jamtara, Pakur, Godda. Where do the people of these districts go if they need bloodIJ
“They can travel to the nearby districts in case they need it,” the Joint Director answers casually.
Shockingly there are also claims by some sources that the patients when visit at Blood Banks are asked to pay a sum of Rs. 200-250 as “service charge” (in addition to the mandatory one unit of blood the patients’ kith and kin had to donate for getting the blood of the required group). But there had been no neutral confirmation of the allegations highlighted in the last paragraphs. “Don’t make me speak on this. I am a government employee. It will be unfair for me to make comments against the very system of which I am a part of,” said a blood bank in-charge requesting anonymity.