Gujarat Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) has warned the blood banks in the state that no negligence and serious omissions in obeying the rules for testing, collection and distribution of blood will be tolerated under any circumstances and the discrepancies observed in the blood bank during the inspection should be rectified by the blood banks immediately.

The FDCA Commissioner, S P Adeshara, informed that major discrepancies are found during the course of inspections and the defaulters will be treated strictly. Adeshara was addressing a meeting of the representatives of all blood banks working in the state recently called by the FDCA.

At present, there are 162 blood banks licensed in Gujarat for collection, storage, distribution of whole human blood and blood components. While elaborating the inspection work carried out by officers at various district levels in the State, the Commissioner said that the supply and distribution of the blood and blood products must be considered as part of dedicated work and devoted duties towards the society. "The poor and needy patients of our nation are expecting and looking forward towards the blood bank profession with great expectation. So that, a negligence in their part can not be ignored," he added.

The FDCA Commissioner warned that since blood is an emergency medicine and essential commodity as well, the Department is very much firm that the representative of all blood bank must be vigil and conscious for all the time whenever the quality, safety and purity of the blood is concerned. "At the same time it must also be borne into the mind that if the testing of thee blood is not as per the expected standard the products is likely to prove hazards to the patients to whom it is transfused," he cautioned.

In the meeting, which was held at Ahmedabad Management Association hall, Ahmedabad on 25-5-03, all the Assistant Commissioners working at each district level had also been asked to remain present. The meeting was conducted under the co-operation of Gujarat State Voluntary Blood Bank Association and Indian Red Cross society. The meeting was attended by nearly 201 representatives of nearly 125 blood banks.

The purpose of the seminar was to educate all the blood banks about the provision of the law governing profession of blood bank, to draw attention of thee blood banks towards serious inadequacies observed during inspection leading to temporary or permanent closure of blood banks and prosecution as well. The blood banks were also given enough information about how to avoid such mistakes and how to maintain premises, equipments, documents etc. so as to comply the provision of law in larger interest of people. Mr. A. Ramkrishnan, in-charge Additional Drugs Controller, presented his keynote address to the delegates of blood banks. In his address, Ramkrishnan provided certain guidelines about the contraventions and discrepancies coming across during routine activities of the blood banks. He also explained how to take and manage to avoid such type of contraventions.