Day after raid, blood bank cleared of charges, reopens

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 14

A day after teams of the Health Department raided Alfa Clinical Lab and Diagnostic Centre here after a tout was nabbed selling blood received from it, the Drug Department today gave a clean chit to the bank during a second inspection this morning.

Having been sealed late on Tuesday night after blood seized from a tout was found to be from the bank, the Drug Department today visited it again. After inspection, the blood bank was opened. The teams said all records at the bank were found properly maintained, adding that there was no violation on the part of the blood bank.

Zonal Licensing Authority Karun Sachdeva said: “Proper procedure was found being maintained at the Alfa Clinical Lab and Diagnostic Centre from where the said tout had taken the blood. While the unit was issued in the name of a private hospital, it was observed that HIV and HCV testing as well as crossmatching, as per the most advanced procedure, were also done. While the bank was sealed last night as the person on duty failed to present requisite records, our teams visited it and proper records were presented. All records were found to be proper. The bank is not complicit in the sale of blood.”

Sachdeva said while some minor discrepancies were found in the records, these did not amount to any connivance of the bank with the tout selling the blood.

He said: “We have found violations against the tout as he was reselling the blood received from the bank for profit. A case will be filed against him in the CJM court on the basis of which proceedings will be initiated against him. However, we are serving a notice on him before that. He was also taken to the police by the team yesterday. He has violated Section 18 (c) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Further action will be taken by the police.”

Sources said the only violation found against the bank was that the requisition form bore the name of a hospital rather than signatures of a doctor and some of the vital stats of donors listed on the register were exactly identical and there were also some minor omissions in the records.

Interestingly, while the tout was nabbed and handed over to the police by drug teams yesterday, he was let off by the police today and no FIR was lodged against him.

The Drug Department said a notice would be served on him and action be initiated, based on his reply. Civil Surgeon Rajesh Bagga said: “We have submitted all requisite documents and evidence against the tout to the police. Now, the case will be with the police.”