Mumbai: After months of delay and multiple tender extensions, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is finally set to procure three Fully Automated Immunohematology Analyzers — two for KEM Hospital and one for Nair Hospital. The civic body has received four bids for the tender, marking significant progress in a process that had been pending since July 2025.
Timeline of Delays Since July 2025
The tender for these advanced machines was originally published on July 3, 2025, with the last date of submission set as July 31, 2025. However, due to technical clarifications and procedural issues, the deadline was extended several times — first to August 21, then August 28, September 4, September 11, September 18, September 25, and finally to October 2, 2025.
Advanced Automation For Safer Blood Transfusions
The Fully Automated Immunohematology Analyzer is a sophisticated piece of equipment used in blood banks and diagnostic laboratories for accurate blood grouping, cross-matching, antibody screening, and red cell phenotyping — all vital to ensure safe and compatible blood transfusions. The automation helps reduce human error, improves efficiency, and delivers faster results, making it particularly useful in high-volume hospitals like KEM and Nair.
Contract Terms and Maintenance Conditions
As per the tender conditions, each analyzer will be supplied with standard accessories and a three-year warranty, followed by a seven-year Comprehensive Maintenance Contract (CMC). The cost-per-test (CPT) rates will remain frozen for ten years, ensuring predictable operational costs for the hospitals.
Experts Question Cost-Effectiveness For Public Hospitals
However, health experts have voiced concerns about the practicality and cost-effectiveness of such high-end systems in civic-run hospitals. They note that while these machines are common in private hospitals, their utility in public institutions may be limited due to the high cost of reagents and consumables, which could burden the civic body’s already stretched finances.
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Experts also highlight that many of these tests can still be performed manually with reliable accuracy, questioning whether such automation is an immediate necessity.
Estimated Cost Of Equipment
The cost of a Fully Automated Immunohematology Analyzer in India typically ranges between Rs 40 lakh and Rs 60 lakh per unit.
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