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Enforcement of Blood Transfusion Act a must for safety

Private blood banks pose threats of transmitting diseases like HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and C

Mahbuba Zannat
1 hough Safe Blood lYansfusion Act was enacted in 2002 to ensure blood safely, innumerable blood banks are operating in the country without being monitored and pos ing serious threats of transmitting diseases like HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and C.
The act made registration mandatory for all blood banks so that the government can scrutinise whether they are maintaining the required standardsornot.
It also made compulsory the testing of the viruses of HIV, syphilis, malaria. Hepatitis B and C in those banks.
But the government authorities still do not know the exact number of blood banks operating in the country and their standards to ensure blood safety.
“We are yet to know how many blood banks are operating across the country We hope to cqllect all the information regarding blood banks through our civil surgeons soon," said Assistant Director of DGHS. Dr Momtaj Uddin Bhuiyan, adding. "Then we would be able to take legal steps against illegal blood banks."
Under the safe blood transfusion programme, the government has set up 98 safe blood transfusion centres at the district hospitals and
government medical colleges and hospitals.
But the government is in dark about the private blood banks as dicy are still unregistered and not working under a unique umbrella to ensure blood safety.
As the private blood banks are not registered, they are beyond government's monitoring system, and no legal action could be taken against the banks that are not maintaining required standard or not collecting quality blood, said Dr Syeda Masooma Rahman of Safe Blood lYansfusion Programme at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH)
"The safe blood transfusion programme was supposed to ensure blood safety in every public and private health institutions. But in fact we don't have any access to private sector as there is no specific rules for monitoring them and no distinct regulatory body," she added.
According to Safe Blood Transfusion Act 2002, separate licenses for hospitals are required to run the blood banks.
Besides, necessary equipment for blood grouping, screening HIV, HBV, HCV, VDRL and MP and cell separation machines are also required to run a blood bank.
If a blood bank collects 3000 to 5000 units of blood annually, it needs at least 16 staffs, including
transfusion expert, two trained medical officers ;uid three medical technologists.
If a blood bank collects 6000 to 8000 units of blood annually, it needs at least 20 staffs with modern equipment as per the law.
It was also mentioned in the act that a private blood bank cannot start operation without license from the DG health.
If anyone violates this rule, hc/she will have to suffer minimum two years' imprisonment or pay a fineofTk 1 lakh or both.
If any patient dies or becomes disabled or affected with blood related diseases because of blood banks' mismanagement, the bank owner has to suffer minimum five years' imprisonment or pay a fine of Ik 5 lakh.
But it was found that only 19 hospitals and blood banks have applied for registration in last six years due to lack of implementation of the law.
“The registration fee is one of the main reasons behind the reluctance of private blood banks to go through registration. At die same time the government is also reluctant to force the organisations to be registered." said the experts.
Every year around 2.50 lakh units of blood are collected from the donors, and of them 1.50 lakh units are collected from the private blood
banks, said Dr Syeda, adding that it increases the risk of transmitting diseases like HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B andC.
Globally five to 10 percent HIV/AIDS are transmitted through blood transfusion, she said, adding, if the screening of blood could be made mandatory in all the private clinics and hospitals then the chances of transmitting HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and C, malaria and syphilis would be reduced to a great extent.
While talking to The Daily Star, Dr Momtaj said the DGHS could not provide license to those blood banks which applied for registration by this time due to administrative difficulties.
"Though the gazette of Safe Blood 'lYansfusion Act was published in 2004. the selection committee to visit and certify die blood banks for registration in the capital and divisional cities were formed only in November 2007," he added
However, members of die selection committee have already visited Apollo Hospitals, United Hospital, Kidney foundation and Square Hospital following dieir applications for the registration of their blood banks.
It is hoped that it would be possible to provide licenses soon to those blood banks which have fulfilled all the criteria.