Lack of coordination between blood banks and hospitals cost us 6 lakh litres of blood

Serious loopholes in India’s blood banking system has resulted in the loss of over 28 lakh units of blood and its components, or over 6 lakh litres of blood, over the last five years.

The information was provided by the National $4 Control Organisation (NACO) in response to an RTI query, which was filed by petitioner Chetan Kothari.

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This has happened in a country that experiences an annual shortfall of over 3 million units of $4, leading to maternal mortality and deaths in cases of accidents that involve severe blood loss.

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The worst offenders of blood wastage includes Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, as hospitals in these states discarded not just whole blood but even its life-saving components like red blood cells and plasma.

Around 50% of the wasted units were of plasma, which can be used up to a year, much longer than the deadline for whole blood and red blood cells, which have to be used within 35 days.

This loss could be blamed to the lack of a strong blood sharing network between banks and $4, and blood donation camps collecting 1,000 to 3,000 units of blood without having a proper place to store the large quantities.