The Indian Red Cross Society, AP branch, is planning to open one blood bank in each of the 23 district headquarters in the state. At present there are five IRCS blood banks at Nellore, Ongole, Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Mehboobnagar. One blood bank is already opened at Chittoor and another at Warangal before the end of the year. Two more are getting ready at Nalgonda and Eluru, taking the total to nine.

According to Dr Rajyalakshmi, Secretary, AP Red Cross, work is already under way to open blood banks at Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Guntur, Cuddapah and Kurnool. In other districts, buildings in a minimum area of 500 sq yards have been identified which could be developed into blood banks.

In addition to the Red Cross blood banks, there are 65 government, 85 private and 14 voluntary blood banks in the state. Of the 85 private blood banks, 36 are attached to hospitals and 49 are managed on commercial basis. The twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad have 14 government, 24 private and 7 voluntary blood banks. The government has banned any more commercial blood banks.

Though blood banks are synonymous with the Red Cross Society, the first IRCS blood bank in the state was started only in 1997 at Nellore. This was followed by one at Ongole in 1999. The Red Cross Blood Bank in Hyderabad, Haripriya Rangarajan Transfusion Medicine and Research Centre, named after the wife of Governor C Rangarajan, was opened on May 27, 2001. This blood bank is licensed for whole blood and also blood components.

Asked about the registration and functioning of blood banks, Dr Rajyalakshmi said blood banks were to be registered under the Drug and Cosmetic Act, 1940, the licensing authority being the Drugs Controller-General. The banks functioned under the strict vigilance of the Drug Control Administration in every state. Besides there are the National Blood Transfusion Council and the State Blood Councils whose guidelines are binding on the blood banks.

Red Cross accepted blood from voluntary donors or replacement donors without any payment. They come to the blood banks on their own, some of them three to four times a year. One donor had donated blood 95 times and another 82 times. Red Cross also conducts blood donation camps in corporate offices and colleges with the help of the Youth Red Cross functioning in the campus. Though permission of the Drug Control Administration is necessary to conduct camps, Red Cross is exempted from taking permission.

Any healthy person between 18 and 60 years of age can donate blood, other conditions being that he should weigh at least 45 kg, have normal blood pressure, possess reasonable haemoglobin level, is not a drug addict, does not suffer from convulsions, jaundice, malignancy, TB, HIV/AIDS, heart diseases, and other communicable and chronic illnesses.

Before collecting the blood, a doctor screens all the donors. The donors are required to fill up a form giving his/her personal data and a brief medical history of illnesses. The purpose is to determine the donor's health and ability to donate blood and also to ensure the recipient's safety. After the doctor clears the donor, blood is collected in a sealed, sterile unit made up of a disposable bag and needle. Generally 300-350ml blood is collected from a donor. If the donor is very healthy and weighs about 80 kg, up to 400 ml blood can be collected. Within 24 to 36 hours the volume of donated blood is restored in the human body.

The blood is then processed and tested for HIV 1&2, Hepatitis B and C, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), malaria and so on. For HIV it conducts the regular Elisa method. Only safe blood is preserved and distributed to the patients. Asked whether there is any rejection after the test, she said the percentage is very small, may be 0.66 % due to HIV and 2-3 % due to Hepatitis-B.

The whole blood can be preserved for 35-40 days. Red Cross also has the facility to split the blood into components like RBC (red blood cells), white blood cells and platelets. The platelets can be stored even for one year. By this way the same blood can be used for two or three patients in the form of components. For many patients total blood is not required. Give them what is needed and don't overload the heart. There will be optimum utilisation blood this way.

Blood is given free to poor patients based on certificates from doctors, children suffering from Talassemia who needs blood transfusion every three weeks. But they require only RBC. White cardholders are charged Rs 275 against the normal charge of Rs 500 per unit.

Besides blood banks, Red Cross is maintaining several other institutions in the twin cities. They include the Dr Paul Doss Maternity & Family Welfare Centre, Lady Barton Maternity & Family Welfare Centre, Red Cross Misrilal Mangilal Maternity & Children's Hospital at Bowenpally, Red Cross Urban Health Centre at Gaddiannaram and Red Cross Maternity &Child Welfare Centre at Masab Tank. All these five centres provide pre-natal care, conduct deliveries, family planning services and child welfare services, including immunisation programmes.

Red Cross also runs a Balwadi at Masab Tank for slum children. About 80 children are provided free education, mid-day meals, nutrition supplements and medicare. It has an orphanage for girls at Gaddiannaram and sewing centres for women at Bansilalpet and Masab Tank, an Institute for yoga and nature cure at Bajara Hills and a Girls High School with 280 students at Masab Tank.

The Society is all set to inaugurate a Senior Citizens' Resort at Najeebnagar, RR District. Nine cottages are ready for occupation which can accommodate 9 couples or 18 senior citizens.

The State Governor is the president of IRCS and his wife the chairperson. After the Rangarajans came to Raj Bhavan, there was vibrant activity in the Red Cross. The plan to open one blood bank in every district was taken under their leadership. However, Dr Rangarajan is remitting the office this month to take up his new assignment as chairman of the Finance Commission.