FDA Warns KEM Hospital Blood Bank Over Shortage Of Fresh Blood For Newborns

Mumbai: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a strict warning to the KEM Hospital blood bank, directing it to maintain adequate stock of fresh whole blood for newborns. The warning follows repeated complaints that the blood bank, run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), has failed to provide such blood, leaving paediatric doctors and parents scrambling to arrange it from other hospitals.

Families Struggle to Secure Blood

In recent months, several families have faced hurdles in obtaining fresh unmodified blood from KEM. Last month, the family of an eight-day-old infant admitted for an exchange transfusion urgently needed fresh “O” positive blood. The KEM blood bank failed to supply it, and the family eventually sourced a unit from Kandivali Shatabdi Hospital.

In another case, Aarti Vishwakarma’s five-day-old baby required two units of “A” positive fresh blood. Once again, the KEM blood bank could not provide it, forcing the family to turn to a private blood bank.

Complaints Lead to FDA Action

The shortage was first reported by the Free Press Journal on August 10. Following the report, health activist Chetan Kothari lodged a complaint with the State Blood Transfusion Council (SBTC) and the FDA. Both agencies criticised the lapses.

SBTC Assistant Director Dr. Purushottam Puri directed KEM Hospital to conduct an internal inquiry and submit a factual explanation. The FDA has now instructed the blood bank to immediately improve its management of fresh unmodified blood.

Why Fresh Blood Is Vital for Newborns

Paediatricians emphasise that many newborns are born with jaundice and dangerously high bilirubin levels. If untreated, this condition can lead to irreversible brain damage. The most effective treatment is exchange transfusion, where the baby’s blood is gradually replaced with fresh blood collected within the last five days.

At KEM, however, blood is often separated into components soon after collection, leading to a persistent shortage of fresh whole blood needed for such critical neonatal cases.