Following the raids on blood banks in Visakhapatanam, the state Drug Control Administration (DCA) conducted a series of raids in Hyderabad and other parts of the state unearthing a lot of irregularities. Many blood banks in the state, including those in government hospitals are functioning without even basic amenities like storage and refrigeration.

According to Additional Director-General, DCA, Ananthasayanam Reddy, out of the 64 blood banks that were raided, 24 were found to have committed major violations and the rest indulging in minor violations. All of them were served with notices asking for immediate response on the issue. " If we are not satisfied with the reply, we will take further action, including cancellation of their licences," Reddy said.

It may be recalled that of the 20 blood banks in Visakhapatnam, only 8 had valid licences issued by the DCA. The rest were illegal traders of blood and were charging exorbitant amounts, even up to Rs 1,000 for 350 ml of blood against the normal rate of Rs 500. Even the blood banks with licences were functioning without proper facilities to collect, test and store blood.

In the current raids in Hyderabad, the blood bank attached to the government ENT Hospital, Koti, had no laboratory to test blood for transmissible and infectious diseases. There was no air-conditioning for blood group serology nor was there any refrigeration for untested blood samples. These are two primary requirements to open a blood bank

If proper refrigeration is not provided, the quality of the collected blood will suffer leading to other complications. This blood bank also could not produce records of testing of whole blood for verification during the raid.

At the massive Gandhi Hospital, the register for diagnostic kits and reagents used were not maintained properly. The blood bank could not even give an account for 33 CPD-A bags, which were in excess of the specified stock.

Some of the blood banks were not maintaining records pertaining blood donors and their health history. A DCA official said Niloufer, another government hospital, had not maintained donor details, though it is a minor violation.

Among the 24 major blood banks that were found to be violating the norms in the city are ENT Hospital, Koti; Mythri Charitable Blood Bank, Ameerpet; Musheerabad Blood Bank, Balanagar and Jeedimetla; Vijaya Blood Bank, Jeedimetla; Lions Club Blood Bank, Secunderabad; Lions Club Blood Bank, Hyderabad; Navjeevan Blood Bank, Modern Blood Bank, Sai Krishna Enterprises Doctors Blood Bank and Medicare Blood Bank.

Several blood banks in Vijayawada, Guntur, Bhimavaram, besides Visakhapatnam, were also raided and notices served for violation of rules.

Reddy said blood was a life-giving product and care must be taken to supply fresh, clean and virus-free blood to the patients for transfusion. While blood donation was a noble act, those who were running the blood banks should not make it a money-making business. As incurable killer diseases like cancer, AIDS and some infectious diseases were spreading at an alarming rate, blood banks should collect and store blood only after proper tests.