Deficiencies galore in state blood banks

PATNA: If a government hospital denies surgery in the name of non-availability of blood, don't be surprised. For, only 85 of the 140 blood bank refrigerators installed in the state's 36 blood banks are functional.
This came to light in a study conducted last month by the Bihar State Aids Control Society (BSACS) and Bihar Technical State Assistance Team (BTAST).The blood banks in district hospitals at Gopalganj and Madhubani do not have a single blood bank refrigerator, rendering these blood banks almost defunct. Several blood bank refrigerators available at other district hospitals across the state are not functional.
Centrifuge is a critical component of a blood bank as it is used to separate every unit of blood into plasma, red cells and white cells. The separation facilitates use of every unit of blood on three different patients. However, no top table centrifuge is available at Madhepura, Munger, Saharsa, Sitamarhi and Saran district hospitals. There are five such separators available at Patna medical College & Hospital (PMCH), but only one is functional, the study says.
Lack of such separators results in wastage of blood. Dengue patients, for instance, may require only plasma, but s/he has to be given whole blood.
Domestic refrigerator is also a key component as they are used to store reagent and other kits in the blood bank. However, at least 20 of the 66 domestic refrigerators installed in various blood banks are non-functional, says the study.
'Elisa' readers are also not available in sufficient numbers. They are used for measuring antibodies in one's blood. There is not a single functional Elisa reader at 22 blood banks, including the one at Jai Prabha Modern Blood Bank, the study says.
The study found the number of Elisa readers is inadequate at even PMCH and medical hospitals at Darbhanga and Gaya. In the absence of Elisa readers, the blood banks rely on 'rapid tests' the results of which might not be as accurate as Elisa reader results. The National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) guidelines say an Elisa reader should be preferred to a 'rapid test'.
There are few 'mechanical shakers' in the blood banks. These shakers are used for syphilis and HIV tests. Only nine blood banks have a shaker each. The rest, including the ones at PMCH and Nalanda Medical College & Hospital (NMCH) and medical colleges at Gaya and Bhagalpur, are functioning without a shaker.
After the collection of blood, it is separated into red and white cells and stored in refrigerator. Plasma is frozen at -30 degree Celsius or lower temperature. Such deep freezers are also short in supply. Before transfusion, blood is solidified using a 'water bath'. But only 15 of the 27 such 'water baths' available in the state's blood banks are functional, found the study.
Couches for blood donors are not there in many state hospitals. Haemoglobinometer is required to measure a donor's haemoglobin level, but these are available at only 11 hospitals. Even the blood bank at NMCH does not have a haemoglobinometer. None of the blood banks has stethoscopes and BP instruments. However, a senior health official preferring anonymity said such instruments are borrowed from hospitals.
"As for other deficiencies, we have let our blood banks remain functional using alternative equipment if the ones prescribed by NACO are not available with them," the official said.
The BTAST, meanwhile, has written to the principal secretary (health) about the need to spend at least Rs 4.98 crore, made available by it to the state government, to improve the infrastructure at the state's blood banks.