The National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC) is set to develop a distinct identity with wide-ranging membership and representatives from experienced clinicians, blood transfusion specialists, pathologists and motivators from the public, private and corporate sectors. The NBTC will also encourage the State Blood Transfusion Councils (SBTC) to undertake a mapping of the blood banks blood storage centres, and blood transfusion centres within his jurisdiction.

The recently finalized Action Plan of the NBTC also recommends for the presence of NGOs of repute, the Red Cross Society of India, Federation of Indian Thalassemics (FIT) and Haemophilia Federation of India (HFI) in the council.

A similar pattern would be reflected in the memberships of the state blood transfusion councils also. The state councils would have representatives from the state level Red Cross, the FIT, and the HFI. Experts may be invited and co-opted on to the NBTC.

The sub-committee constituted by the NBTC, the apex body in matters pertaining to operation of blood centers to draw an action plan to implement the National Blood Policy, has also called for the appointment of a full time Director as the Member Secretary of the NBTC.

The action plan called for the Director Health Services (DHS)/ Director of Medical Services(DMS) in each state and UT to be an active member of the State Blood Transfusion Council (SBTC). It also made clear that the resources and infrastructure available to the state DHS/DMS shall be utilized for the routine functioning of the SBTCs. The Director will be assisted by one Deputy / Asst. Director, with administrative support. The NBTC wanted the staff should be put in position in the national and state blood transfusion councils (SBTCs) at the earliest. The staff in the NBTC and SBTC will be fully trained in respect of their specific role, duties and responsibilities.

Further to the National Action Plan, the Director Health Services / Director Medical Services in coordination with the SBTC in each state/UT, shall develop a sub-plan, which articulates a coordinated management structure and specifies the network and the horizontal and vertical linkages between the regional blood transfusion centres, the blood banks, and blood storage centres.

The Director of Health Services/ Director Medical Services in each state / union territory will undertake, jointly with the SBTC, a mapping of the blood banks blood storage centres, and blood transfusion centres within his jurisdiction.

Mapping should be completed within three months of adoption of this Action Plan. One output of this exercise will be a comprehensive inventory of the regional level, state level, district and sub-district level blood banks, blood transfusion centres and blood storage centres in medical and non-medical settings, urban and rural areas, and in the public, private, NGO and corporate sectors, inclusive of those run by the Red Cross Society of India.

The blood transfusion services within the state and region may be organised in a hub and spoke approach, through a network of RBTC, BBs and BSCs. The RBTC will serve as the hub. The DHS / SBTC will identify the appropriate RBTC and will document the specific plan for linkages involving the blood banks run by the Red Cross Society of India, by the corporate sector, and by all government and non-government (NGO) stakeholders across the state.

The NBTC also made clear that the SBTC is responsible for implementing the national blood policy and the action plan for blood safety in their respective state / UT. The implementation will be funded by the state government and the NBTC.

The NBTC will coordinate response at the central level, provide appropriate direction and facilitate the SBTC to provide integrated and coordinated management within the state. It will formulate, finalise and disseminate specific guidelines in respect of provisioning of blood by public, private, NGO and corporate sector blood banks.

The NBTC / SBTC will encourage public-private-civil society partnerships in an effort to build upon, and coordinate the comparative advantages, strengths and capacities of diverse stakeholders example, IRCS blood banks, voluntary and charitable sector blood banks, private sector blood banks and government blood banks, in order to ensure that meticulously screened blood becomes more visible, available and accessible.