Nagpur Today
The Director General of National Blood Transfusion Council Dr. Sunil Khaparde was in the city on August 13, 2014. A press conference was organized at Government Medical College and Hospital, Nagpur to report to the media about the National AIDS Control Program (NACP) – IV.
Dean of GMCH Dr Rajaram Powar and Dr. Devashish Gupta from Shree Chitra Institute of Medical Science and Technology, Trivandrum were also present during the press conference.
The Government of India through the Department of AIDS Control (DAC), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), under National AIDS Control Program (NACP IV), has mandated to strengthen blood transfusion services in the country so as to achieve service quality standards, for blood safety, access to safe blood and monitoring, and evaluation systems to achieve the NACP IV objectives.
While talking to the media personnel Dr. Sunil Khaparde informed that the NACP-IV would focus on establishing Metro Blood Banks in Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkatta. In addition NACP-IV would also establish Plasma Fractionation Center, maximizing the Voluntary Blood Donors (VBD), rationale use of blood and E-blood banking in the country.
Currently the DAC along with CDC & CMAI is conducting a nationwide assessment of training centers involved in the training of blood bank personnel told Dr. Sunil Khaparde. The model blood bank at the Government Medical College at Nagpur is one of the center proposed for establishing a training center. On completion of the assessment, the center would cater to the training needs of 70 blood banks in the vicinity and train approximately 350 blood bank staff including doctors, nurses , technicians & counselors on a regular basis. These training would focus on improving the quality of collection, screening and supply of safe blood to the community. DAC has also proposed the establishment of center of excellence for NAAT screening at the Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital at Nagpur. This would facilitate the screening of blood for infections even during the window period. The IGMC , Nagpur would be upgraded to a Blood Component Separation Unit during this year.
Dr. Sunil Khaparde told the media personnel that the National Blood requirement is 1.2 crore units per year but the current scenario is only 90 lakh unites per year is there and there is a need of efforts to fulfill the requirements. However, he added that the blood units collected per year has increased from 44 lakh in the year 2007 to 93 lakh in 2012.
Dr. Sunil Khaparde informed that there are 2.1 blood banks per one million population in the country. Presently, DAC supported blood banks meets 70% of the requirement in the country and by the end of fourth phase of National AIDS Control Program targets to reach 90% of the requirement by DAC. The DAC had so far focused on blood safety which has resulted in the drastic reduction of Transfusion Transmittable infections like HIV, Hepatitis B & C. The DAC would also focus on accessibility for improving the blood transfusion services. Development partners like Centers for Decease Control would support strengthening of blood transfusion services in the country through a five-year project through Christian Medical Association of India, (CMAI) informed Dr. Sunil Khaparde.
