Report suggests anomalies in blood bank’s working

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 10

The report of the Health Department has found glaring anomalies in the functioning of the blood bank, looked after by NGO Rakt Vahini, at Gulab Devi Hospital.

However, the authorities have tested only 20 per cent of the blood unit samples collected from the blood bank.

The report mentioned that “blood at the bank was carelessly stored, standard operating procedures (SOPs) were not being followed, information about staff was not given to the government and there were glaring anomalies in the labelling of blood at the bank”.

The authorities had collected 44 units — 24 were found dumped outside — at the bank.

Sources said multiples entries were made in the record register for a single blood unit. They added that two entries of blood unit 1410, four entries of blood unit 1440, three entries of blood unit1469, two entries of blood unit1286 and three entries of blood unit 1313 were made on the register. One of the blood units was found with a label of Amar Hospital in Patiala. The sources said none of the units had the expiry date or name of donors on them.

The report also includes lack of information with the government about hiring some staff at the bank and no proper uniform for the employees.

The register bearing the details of the bio-medical waste at the blood bank was also found to be incomplete and the record of blood donation was not being maintained properly. The report also highlighted that the SOPs were not being followed on the discarded blood.

A total of five persons — Blood Transfusion Officer Harjeet Singh, Bhupinder Singh, Ved Prakash, Dinesh Kumar and Babloo — were arrested for alleged irregularities in the blood bank

A day after the arrest, the name of the NGO’s proprietor also figured in the FIR. The proprietor has not been arrested so far.

Operations of other blood banks being looked after by the same NGO in Khanna and Amritsar were also stopped after another blood banks of the same NGO being run at Khanna and Amritsar were also stopped subsequently.

The State Joint Commissioner, Drugs, had also issued advisories to the Zonal Licensing Authority (ZLA), Jalandhar, asking all hospitals, who had received blood, not to use any of the received blood units.

Karun Sachdev, ZLA, Jalandhar, said proper action would be recommended against the NGO based on the findings.

Joint Commissioner, Drugs, Pradeep Mattu said the culprits responsible for the irregularities would not be spared.

Five arrested for ‘irregularities’ 

• A total of five persons — Blood Transfusion Officer Harjeet Singh, Bhupinder Singh, Ved Prakash, Dinesh Kumar and Babloo — were arrested for alleged irregularities in the blood bank. 
• A day after the arrest, the name of the NGO’s proprietor also figured in the FIR. The proprietor has not been arrested so far.