Mumbai: Patients requiring blood transfusions at Dr RN Cooper Hospital will have to depend on the blood centre at HBT Trauma Hospital in Jogeshwari for two days, as the hospital's blood centre will remain shut on November 5 and 6 following a suspension order issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In a communication issued earlier this week, the blood centre informed the hospital dean that all services would remain suspended from midnight on November 5 and resume from midnight on November 7. The centre, operated by Samarprit Bahuuddeshiya Sevabhavi Vikas Sanstha, has requested the dean to inform all concerned departments and extend cooperation during the suspension period.
Patients Directed To Alternative Blood Centre
The temporary closure is likely to inconvenience patients admitted to the civic-run hospital who require blood and its components during treatment, including those undergoing surgeries and emergency procedures. Patients have been advised to approach the blood centre at HBT Trauma Hospital, Jogeshwari, for transfusion-related requirements.
Cooper Hospital, a major civic-run teaching hospital catering to Mumbai's western suburbs, has around 697 beds and handles more than 7.5 lakh outpatient visits annually, averaging over 2,000 patients daily, according to a 2025 report. The suspension could add to the logistical challenges for patients and their relatives, who may have to arrange blood from another facility during the two-day period.
FDA Intensifies Statewide Blood Bank Inspections
Meanwhile, the FDA has intensified its scrutiny of blood banks and blood storage centres across Maharashtra, suspending the licences of 40 blood banks in the past seven months.
Between April and October 2026, the department inspected 190 blood banks and 219 blood storage centres across the state. During this period, licences of five blood banks were cancelled and 40 suspended. Similarly, 13 blood storage centres lost their licences, while 37 faced suspension.
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Regulatory Action Focuses On Safety Standards
In October alone, the FDA inspected 43 blood banks and 57 blood storage centres, indicating continued enforcement against facilities found violating regulatory requirements.
The action against Cooper Hospital's blood centre is part of the department's wider monitoring of blood transfusion facilities to ensure compliance with safety and quality standards.
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