Blood banks dry up, authorities withdraw tainted kits

Kolkata, Oct 26 (UNI) After the blood-kit scam hit the state, the blood banks in West Bengal are now reeling under a severe blood supply shortage, even as the authorities are recovering expired kits from different health centres.

Deputy Commissioner (DD) Gyanwant Singh said here that most of the kits distributed through the main blood bank and district blood banks have been seized and withdrawn.

''However, the kits supplied to two to three addresses in Kolkata have already been sold and we have no knowledge of those. They could amount to 500 kits,'' he added.

More kits have been seized from three private health centres in the districts, namely Scientific Laboratory (Krishnagar), Rishita Enterprise (Malda) and New Scientific Mart (Cooch Behar). Most of the kits have been tested with Hepatitis B and C, and HIV positive (rapid).

Meanwhile, Apurba Ghosh, Secretary Voluntary Blood Bank Association told UNI here that the monthly average blood donation camps in the state is around 400, but only 90 camps have been held last month in the state.

''The festivals and natural calamity combined in the drastic fall in the organisation of the Blood Donors' Camps. And off late the news of the medical kit tampering has added to the fear among people,'' he said.

'' However, we are working overtime to tide over these problems.

We have a storage of 2000 blood kits in the central Blood bank now and through healthy donor collection system, we are sure to overcome this menace,'' he added.

Talking about the scam of Monozyme India ltd, he termed it "unfortunate".

''Blood is termed as the first medicine, and we are not sure in how many states such tampered kits have been supplied. This can be alarming.'' The worst affected are the thalassaemia kids, who require blood on a regular basis. The thalassaemia patients have been scared as they could be infected with HIV positive.

However, Mr Ghosh allayed fears, saying since 87 per cent of the blood are being collected through the healthy donor system through a voluntary causes, the blood now in circulation is mostly safe.

He, however, criticised the government policy of buying blood from the cheapest bidder in the tender they floated. ''Blood is such a thing that you cannot tamper with. One should buy blood either through acclaimed international organisations or through the highest bidders, who guarantee the quality of the blood,'' he said.

UNI BA KK VD BD1733