The eight blood banks run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have been judged among the worst in the country, according to a recent report of the Maharashtra State Blood Transfusion Council (SBTC). They were found to have an HIV-contamination rate of at least twice the state average, and in some cases, considerably higher.

Besides, the proportion of blood collected from voluntary donors as compared to the total blood collected by the bank (another criteria used by the SBTC) was also unacceptably low. The civic-run blood banks were also found wanting with regard to the level of implementation of technical guidelines issued by the SBTC.

While the overall seropositivity level for the state of Maharashtra (248 blood banks) was only 0.86 with a voluntary blood collection rate of 73 per cent, the blood bank at B Y L Nair Hospital was said to be the most dismal in the country with the highest seropositivity levels of 3.67 and a voluntary blood donation rate of around 70 per cent. Following a close second was Harilal Bhagwati Hospital with seropositivity levels of 2.17 and a voluntary blood collection rate of 60 per cent.

The ratings of other blood banks that are run by the corporation were as follows; R N Cooper Hospital recording a seropositivity level of 1.96 per cent and voluntary blood collection level of 56 per cent; KEM Hospital with seropositivity level of 1.8 percent and blood collection levels of 59 per cent; V N Desai Hospital with seropositivity level at 1.77 per cent and blood collection levels at 28 per cent; Sion Hospital with seropositivity level of 1.37 per cent and blood collection level of 51 per cent; Rajawadi Hospital with seropositivity level of 1.1 per cent and blood collection level of 75 per cent and K B Bhabha Hospital (Bandra) with seropositivity levels of 0.92 per cent and blood collection at 71 per cent and K B Bhabha Hospital (Kurla) with seropositivity levels at 0.38 per cent and voluntary blood collection levels at 92 per cent.

Lamenting the corporation for the poor statistics recorded, a senior official at the SBTC claimed that it was due to the ratings of the corporation blood banks that the overall figure of the state was a paltry 0.86 per cent, which otherwise would have been very low and negligible at almost 0 per cent.

"When a blood bank records seropositivity level of 3.67 per cent, the only possible cause that could be established is the lack of proper screening methods. Despite circulars being sent by the technical committee of the state SBTC and requesting for filling of the questionnaires by the patients which is mandatory, these blood banks refuse to follow any guidelines and are hell bent on adopting their own rules without giving a ear for anything else" says the officer on condition of anonymity.

Despite a circular that was sent by the Centre in October last year refraining blood banks from receiving any memberships from NGO's working for any blood banks, these blood banks continue violating the rules and end up encouraging replacement donors, says the officer. "They do not even have uniform donor cards which is also a must", avers the officer.

According to the official, some of the highly violated norms that these blood banks adopt include the basic blood safety guidelines not observed, uniform card schemes not implemented and displaying rather unusual prices not set by the government.

For now the state SBTC has managed to intimidate the BMC of the flaws being observed and is busy devising tactics to avoid the resurgence of the gloomy figures. Further due to lack of directives from the Centre, the state SBTC is not in a position to accuse the offenders. But for the major part of it, it remains to be seen whether the God-free ridden BMC does manage to give in to the alarming heeds of the SBTC.

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