Blood safety continues to be a concern, say experts

Bengaluru: More than 2,000 people across the country contracted HIV while receiving blood transfusions over the last 17 months, states the data by National AIDS body. Of them, 127 were from Karnataka. Despite the state being the pioneer in getting the ID-NAT (Individual Donor Nucleic Acid Testing) standard, blood safety or haemovigilance continues to be a problem area.  

From 2011 till now, Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital, the state's nodal centre for carrying out ID-NAT and which is the only authorised facility to carry out the test, has tested 5.5 lakh blood samples.

“Of these, 6,600 samples were tested positive for HIV, HPV and HBV, which are transfusion transmitted infections. This number is big. This is the only trusted test which is being followed by many countries for detecting HIV and other TTIs,” says Mr Manjunath, technical director of the ID-NAT laboratory at Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital.

Of around 30 blood banks in the city, only two private blood banks and the other government blood banks send samples for ID-NAT testing to Bowring Hospital, he says. “There needs to be stronger vigilance if government wants to curtail the number of infections after transfusion and ID-NAT test should be made mandatory,” he advises.

“More than 200 patients require blood at the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute every day, but we can meet the demand of only around 100 people,” says Dr Sreelatha R., professor and HoD at the department of transfusion medicine, BMCRI.

The hospital conducts some 12-15 blood donation camps every month, which helps them collect some 40 units of blood. “One in 300 samples sent is tested positive which is a big number as one unit of blood can be harvested for three components – red blood cells, plasma and platelets – and can cater to three patients,” she adds.

“For proper hemovigilance, we need proper identification so that the right blood is given to the right recipient,” says Dr C. Shivram, HoD, Blood Banks, Manipal Hospital, suggesting that surveillance procedures should be followed through the transfusion chain, from collection to the follow-up of recipients.