State to approach HC seeking review of no donor blood replacement policy

Ranchi: The state health department is soon going to approach the Jharkhand high court seeking a review of the court’s order to the state govt to ensure the availability of blood to patients without it being replaced by a donor.

State health minister Irfan Ansari said this while attending a programme here on Tuesday to mark World Health Day.

During the programme, Ansari said the court in Dec last year had directed the govt to ensure blood to patients at any cost, “But how can hospitals provide blood to patients, if they cannot replace it by any donor. In the past, patients in need of blood used to come with replacement donors. Due to the directive, there has been a scarcity of blood, and many patients are being deprived of getting blood. We will approach the court and plea to review the directive.”

A division bench of former high court Chief Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Justice Rajesh Shankar, while hearing a PIL, passed an order in Dec last year, directing the health department to ensure that blood is provided voluntarily to patients without the earlier practice of taking a unit of blood from a donor.

The bench also ordered all private hospitals and blood banks to conduct regular blood donation drives to meet their respective demands of different blood groups. The court also ordered the govt to establish a separate dedicated grievance redressal mechanism, including a mobile app, website and toll-free number to provide real-time assistance for the arrangement of blood to patients in need.

During the programme, the minister added that soon the department is going to float a tender to rope in an agency to arrange blood to patients in all healthcare centres, including both private and govt, across the state.

“The agency will be responsible for providing blood to patients in all Sadar hospitals, medical colleges and hospitals. A toll-free number will be launched for patients, where they can call, and the agency will ensure availability of blood,” Ansari added.

The minister announced that the department is planning to launch a health guarantee card scheme to ensure quality and affordable healthcare for people in the state.

“I will soon discuss rolling out the health guarantee card with the CM, so that no one is deprived of better treatment in the state due to lack of money,” he added.