A huge quantity of blood (whole blood and packed red blood cells) wastage was reported during the pandemic in the civic and state-run blood banks. Around 1,661 units of blood bags expired in the last two years across the five civic and state-run blood banks. Experts said attributed it to unplanned camps and the ongoing pandemic.
According to the RTI data, of the total blood units expired, 515 units expired at Rajawadi blood bank, followed by 399 units at Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General (LTMG) hospital (Sion) blood bank, 221 units at BYL Nair, 200 units at the King Edward Memorial (KEM), 180 units at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and 70 units at Sir Jamshetji Jeejeebhoy (JJ) and Bhabha hospital.
Experts attribute wastage to lack of coordination and management in the blood banks. In 2017, the Central government had issued a circular that allowed transferring blood from one bank to another to address the problems of excess stock and shortage.
“Sion blood bank caters to the needs of 310 Thalassemia patients who require blood fortnightly, as their haemoglobin level drop. It also supplies a huge quantity of blood for the management of road and railway accident cases. Cardiac and other surgeries also require a huge quantity of blood,” said a hospital source.
RTI activist, Chetan Kothari, said the wastage of blood (whole blood and packed red blood cells) due to expiry in the Rajawadi Blood Bank has been increasing over the years. A total of 26 blood bags expired in 2017 (7.5 litres), which increased to 74 (20 litres) – a three-fold increase in 2018. In 2019, 159 blood bags or 47 litres of blood expired.
“In 2020, the blood bank showed a loss of 225 blood bags (67 lighters) due to expiry, which increased to 292 blood bags (58.5 lighters) in 2021. (Expiry of packed red blood cells was higher in 2021 compared to whole blood in 2020). It would not be wrong to say that the expiry has increased by 91 per cent or 11 times in the last 5 years. A total of 776 blood bags or 200 lighters of blood expired in five years,” he said.
Dr Kashinath Jadhav, in charge of the blood bank in Rajawadi Hospital, said, “On an average five per cent of the collected blood bags get wasted in a year but during the pandemic it rose to 10 per cent.”
Dr Vidya Thakur, superintendent of Rajawadi Hospital, said there are several reasons why collection and demands for blood had dropped during the pandemic which led to the expiry in large quantities. “During pandemic there were fewer accidents, hospitalisation for other diseases and surgeries were on the lower side following which utilisation of bloodstock was also very less. That is the reason why the blood expired. I will speak to the blood bank authority to make sure no blood goes waste.”
Arun Thorat, assistant director, State Blood Transfusion Council (SBTC) said, “As per the data, blood wastage is very minimal, but it should be minimised further more through proper planning. Besides, blood donation camps should be organised as per need. If there is excess blood in the banks, it should be provided to other blood banks.”
Here are the reasons
Collected too much blood in pressure from political parties
Inaction of social workers or Incharge to look which blood is nearing expiry and transferring it to other blood banks
Technician not being vigilant enough of issuing blood that has been collected first & nearing expiry
Technicians not testing blood for many days.
Untested blood present for many days.
Mega blood donation camps to mark birthdays of political leaders, Independence Day, Republic day
Competition between camp organisers to defeat another one in blood collection
