Medical college blood bank close to meeting WHO target

Gagan K Teja

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Tribune News Service

Patiala, January 11

Started in 1954 in a single room with two blood bank refrigerators having a storage capacity of 50 units near old operation theatre, the Department of Transfusion Medicine (Blood Bank) Rajindra Hospital, Government Medical College, Patiala, is one of the oldest and a few blood banks in the country that has achieved the target of the National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC) and is inching towards the target set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) of 100 per cent voluntary blood donation.

Moreover, it is number one in the state out of roughly 102 blood banks that has been leading for the past five years as far as organising the number of blood donation camps and voluntary blood donors is concerned.

However, the journey has been long. In 1954, initially blood was stored in glass bottles. The only facility available was blood grouping and compatibility testing for patients. The blood bank was shifted to the new emergency block in 1979 and finally shifted to the present location in 2000. The department houses a major part of the ground floor of the emergency block.

As per the Drug and Cosmetic Act, it got its licence in 1988. Transfusion Transmitted Infections (HIV, HBV, VDRL, Malaria) testing was started in 1992 and HCV testing started in 2001. It also started Blood Component Separation Unit (BCSU) offering the entire range of blood components in 2001.

The Patiala District Blood Transfusion Council (PDBTC) was formed under the chairmanship of the Principal, Government Medical College, and the Patiala Deputy Commissioner as patron in 2001. The PDBTC plays a vital role in the running of the Department of Transfusion Medicine. Major equipment such as apheresis machines, walk-in cool rooms, donor couches, etc., were procured by the PDBTC. A 20-seater bus for outdoor camps and van for motivation were procured by the Patiala District Blood Transfusion Council.

In 2004, first walk-in cool room with a capacity of 3,000 units was installed. In 2015, second combo walk-in cool room with deep freezer (2- 40C and -200C) was installed making the total capacity of 6,000 units.

Prof and Head of the Department Dr Kanchan Bhardwaj said the blood bank was doing continuous efforts to achieve the target of 100 per cent voluntary blood donations.

“The annual collection of our department is around 20,000 units, of which around 90 per cent are voluntary blood donations. We are regularly holding camps to attract more and more people towards voluntary blood donation”.