In view of the increasing number of complaints related to the functioning of the blood banks in the private sector, the central government is planning to bring in strict norms for the future licensing of blood banks in the country. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) is holding high-level discussions in this regard and a clear directive on how to have a more stringent control over the blood banks is likely to be issued soon. The government may also stop issuing fresh licenses to stand alone blood banks in the private sector.

Sources close to CDSCO informed that a decision in this regard would be taken within a week. Stipulation of higher operational standards would be the main outcome of the meeting, it is learnt.

According to reports, the Centre had served a notice to all state governments, asking them to stop licensing of stand-alone blood banks in the private sector. While the directive from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) state drug controllers specified that no application should henceforth be accepted for stand-alone blood bank licences in the private sector, reports said the government is shortly planning to bring an amendment to the Drugs & Cosmetics Act to ban such blood banks.

There are about 1,800 blood banks currently operational in the country, and a substantial number of them belong to the private sector.

A few months ago, the Centre had introduced a system to facilitate rural and peripheral areas' access to blood banks. According to this system, blood storage centres could function in such areas if they had direct linkage to an authorised blood bank.