Health Minister Dr Kodela Sivaprasada Rao said the government would soon set up 60 blood banks in various government hospitals in the state. The requirement of blood in rural and tribal areas was more, he said, and called for setting up more blood banks in remote areas. During emergency situations, getting blood was proving difficult in remote areas, he said.

Addressing a six-day workshop on ‘Quality management in blood transfusion services,’ organized by the Indian Red Cross Society and American Red Cross for medical and para-medical staff, Dr Rao felt the need for gradation of blood banks so that the needy could decide for themselves which bank to approach in first preference and which one next and so on.

Laying emphasis on quality control in blood transfusion service, the minister said this was necessary from the stage of donation to storage and particularly during transfusion. As 3- 4 % of HIV positive cases were the result of contamination during transfusion, strict adherence to quality control could prevent such cases, he said.

The four-lakh units of blood collected in every state was hardly sufficient to meet the demand which was in the range of 15 lakh units per year. “The government is making efforts to improve the collection to at least 7 lakh units in three years,” Dr Rao said.

While stating that there was a high rate of blood donation by professional donors, he said it was doubtful whether the donors themselves were healthy. He advised the banks to collect blood only from healthy and voluntary donors. For this people should be motivated by creating awareness and dispelling existing sentiments against it, he said.

IRCS secretary Dr Vimala Ramalingam called upon blood transfusion service providers to inform the donors who test HIV positive during check-up before donation and motivate them to attend counselling. She felt the need for active cooperation among government, Red Cross and voluntary blood banks to improve the quality of service.

Dr K Rajya Lakshmi, state secretary of Red Cross, Dr Anji Reddy, Director-General of Health Services, and S Damayanti, Director of AP AIDS Control Society, were among those who spoke on the need for promoting voluntary blood donation.

It may be recalled that the AP Red Cross Society is setting up a blood bank in each of the 23 district headquarters in the state. It has already opened 12 blood banks in as many districts. There are about 180 blood banks in the state under government and private hospitals, voluntary organisations and the Red Cross.