To help broaden the scope and reach of Haemovigilance Programme of India (HvPI) in the country which was earlier limited to reporting adverse transfusion reactions in blood recipients only, the government plans to launch a website to get access to and connect with both blood donors and recipients in a seamless manner.

According to official sources, the HvPI website will become more broad-based with the launching of National Blood Donor Vigilance Programme (NBDVP) recently to improve donor safety and satisfaction through monitoring, analysing and researching adverse events. NBDVP envisages to help analyse risk factors, implement and evaluate preventive measures, reduce frequency of adverse events and increase donor frequency.

Launched on December 10, 2012 by National Institute of Biologicals (NIB), HvPI currently generates reports on blood recipient related adverse reaction through a TRRF. This is then linked via Haemovigil software to NIB.

In a similar manner, NBDVP will collect blood donor data from blood banks and medical institutions through a Blood Donor Adverse Reaction Reporting Form (BDARF). This will help the authorities to come full circle with respect to reporting adverse reactions both in terms of blood donor and recipient and hence serve the larger purpose of blood safety through HvPI.

NBDVP was launched in June this year on World Blood Donor Day at Science City, Kolkata to improve donor safety and satisfaction through monitoring, analysing and researching adverse events. It will also help to analyse risk factors, implement and evaluate preventive measures, reduce frequency of adverse events and increase donor frequency.

A standard practice in many countries, haemovigilance is aimed at keeping details pertaining to collection, investigation, its analysis and transfusion of blood or blood components. It also documents adverse reactions to recipients and the people handling the vital fluid. NIB is an autonomous institution under the Union health ministry which ensures quality of biologicals and vaccines in the country available through domestic manufacturers or imports.

HvPI, which was launched at the national level by NIB aims to identify trends in adverse reactions and events, thereby to form transfusion policy, target areas for improvement in practice, stimulate research, raise awareness of transfusion hazards, give an early warning of new complications to improve safety of transfusion for patients.