Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has canceled license of Mulund based MT Agarwal Hospital blood bank for non-compliance to norms and has recommended the management to convert into a blood storage centre for the benefit of patients.

Following its closure, the blood bank management has shown interest for conversion into a blood storage centre, according to official sources. This conversion of blood banks into blood storage centre requires MT Agarwal Hospital blood bank to apply for a separate license from the state FDA and identify an area of 10 square metre with separate areas demarcated for storage and testing of blood.

This is the outcome of the series of actions taken by the state regulator in the wake of the findings that 5 civic run blood banks inspected in the city do not have requisite number of technical staff.  

In its ongoing drive towards compliance to Drugs Act, the Maharashtra FDA had conducted inspections on 15 civic run blood banks in the recent across the city of Mumbai. Based on the inspections, it suspended licenses of four municipal blood banks and cancelled license of one of them. There are around 59 blood banks in the city.

As per the provisions of the law, the blood banks can function after the issuance of suspension orders during the appeal period of three months, in which case they can appeal to the appellate authority to be heard in a judicious manner.

As per sources, city based blood banks have been facing practical difficulties in putting in place adequate manpower. The state FDA minister is the appellate authority for hearing such cases and delivering the final verdict.

The state FDA has, however, maintained that suspension orders on the blood banks detected for non-compliance to Drugs Act is applicable after granting appeal period of 3 months which is sufficient amount of time to rectify the deficiency of the concerned blood bank.