New Drugs Panel Recommends Biometric Authentication Of Blood Donors For Transfusion Safety

Mumbai: The biometric authentication of blood donors at blood centres and blood donation camps may soon become a reality, with the Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC) recommending the establishment of a sub-committee to study its implementation modalities and feasibility. The panel will also examine the framework for mandatory participation in External Quality Assessment Schemes (EQAS).

Mandatory e-RaktKosh registration for all licensed blood centres proposed

The DCC has further recommended amending the Drugs Rules to make registration on the Centre's e-RaktKosh portal mandatory for all licensed blood centres to strengthen blood transfusion safety and regulatory oversight.

The recommendations were made during the 69th meeting of the DCC while deliberating on incorporating mandatory provisions relating to e-RaktKosh and EQAS for whole human blood and blood components under the Drugs Rules.

Biometric system to create unique donor identity and prevent duplication

Health experts say, if implemented, biometric authentication would help create a unique identity for every blood donor, preventing duplicate registrations and ensuring compliance with prescribed donation intervals. It would also improve traceability of donated blood and strengthen the national donor database.

The committee noted that while blood transfusion safety is a critical component of public health, registration of licensed blood centres on the e-RaktKosh portal and participation in EQAS are currently recommended practices without explicit statutory backing. In view of evolving global best practices and patient safety requirements, it recommended incorporating specific provisions in the Drugs Rules to make both mandatory.

The e-RaktKosh portal is the Centre's digital blood bank management system that enables real-time monitoring of blood inventory, donor records and blood component availability. Mandatory registration is expected to improve transparency, strengthen haemovigilance, enhance traceability of blood units and facilitate better management of blood supplies across the country.

The DCC also recommended that the sub-committee examine the implementation modalities and feasibility of biometric authentication of blood donors. If implemented, the system could create a unique identity for every donor, prevent duplicate registrations and repeated donations under different identities, ensure compliance with prescribed donation intervals, improve traceability of donated blood and strengthen the national donor database through integration with e-RaktKosh. The panel will also examine the operational, legal and privacy aspects before submitting its report to the DCC.

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