
India launches nationwide audit of blood banks after children test HIV-positive post-transfusion
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. NEW DELHI: The Union government has ordered a nationwide audit of all 4,153 licensed blood banks and centres after children in some states tested HIV-positive following allegedly contaminated transfusions, according to two government officials and a document that Mint reviewed. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) has started risk-based inspections of all blood centres and any facility not compliant with the standards will be closed down, the officials said.
Risk-based inspections prioritize surveillance of facilities based on potential risk to patients instead of random checks. The health ministry has asked all states and Union Territories to conduct a comprehensive audit of blood centres on priority and shift to advanced methods of testing blood for infections. “Ensure testing of all blood units for mandatory transfusion-transmitted infections, namely HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Malaria and Syphilis.
Strengthen the mandatory testing for HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C with the use of fourth-generation CLIA/ELISA," secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said in a statement issued last month. The step comes in the backdrop of children being tested positive for HIV after blood transfusions during treatment for thalassemia in Satna (Madhya Pradesh), West Singhbhum (Jharkhand), Jaipur (Rajasthan) and Kamrup (Assam) due to a suspected breach in screening protocols. India requires 14.6 million units of blood annually to meet transfusion requirements.
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