19 October 2015,New Delhi. On the recommendation of the National Blood Transfusion Council, and as a part of its commitment to ensure safe blood and enhanced access to blood products, the Health & Family Welfare Ministry starts two step program towards better utilisation of blood and blood components.The National Blood Transfusion Council is the apex body for formulating policy matters pertaining to the organisation, operation, standards and training of a sustainable and safe blood transfusion service for the country, set up by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare , under the directions of the Hon. Supreme Court of India.
The step one is permitting the transfer of blood from one blood bank to another. This was not allowed earlier and will help in transfer of blood to places of scarcity. Detailed guidelines for proper and efficient transport of blood between banks have been prescribed.
The step two is fixing of an exchange value for surplus plasma available at some blood banks in the country. In the absence of the enabling provision, surplus plasma was traded or sold by the blood banks without any regulation whatsoever.
Now the plasma exchange value has been fixed for Rs.1600/- per litre and the blood banks with surplus plasma can exchange it for consumables, equipments etc. or plasma derived products, as per their need. This exchange, however, cannot be in terms of cash. This step is expected to increase the availability of essential life saving medicines like human albumin, immunoglobulins, clotting factors, etc. which are all derived from plasma. This initiative would also reduce the country’s dependence on import of these products.