Study of Blood-transfusion Services in Maharashtra and Gujarat States, India

Abstract

Blood-transfusion services are vital to maternal health because haemorrhage and anaemia are major causes of maternal death in South Asia. Unfortunately, due to continued governmental negligence, blood-transfusion services in India are a highly-fragmented mix of competing independent and hospital-based blood-banks, serving the needs of urban populations. This paper aims to understand the existing systems of blood-transfusion services in India focusing on Maharashtra and Gujarat states. A mix of methodologies, including literature review (including government documents), analysis of management information system data, and interviews with key officials was used. Results of analysis showed that there are many managerial challenges in blood-transfusion services, which calls for strengthening the planning and monitoring of these services. Maharashtra provides a good model for improvement. Unless this is done, access to blood in rural areas may remain poor.

Improving Maternal Survival in South Asia - What Can We Learn from Case Studies?

“…The growth of the private sector documented in Gujarat (3), Maharashtra (26), Rajasthan (5), and India as a whole (7) suggests that more attention to documenting the role played by formal and informal private care providers should be recommended as a priority, as a means to ensure that maternal health strategy remains relevant to realities and to capitalize on opportunities that arise from this growth. Strategies documented in all the Indian case studies indicate that these are beginning to be recognized by policy-makers.…”

“…Maharashtra has used a range of approaches to encourage more blood donation using popular media and information, education, and communication (IEC) materials (26), and in both Maharashtra and Gujarat, numbers of blood donors have been increasing and the need to use less reliable mechanisms reducing as a result (26). Another important factor in these increases appears to have been the greater use of blood-donation camps.…”

Non Infectious Complications Related to Blood Transfusion: An 11 year Retrospective Analysis in a Tertiary Care Hospital

“…A lot needs to be done to achieve the ultimate goal of being a part of the International Hemovigilance Network. The National Blood Policy of India introduced in 2002 mentions various steps to be taken to increase the awareness of Transfusion Medicine at the undergraduate and postgraduate level so as to sensitize the medical fraternity of the importance of early recognition as well as reporting of all such events [4].…”

Blood Bank Services at Tertiary Care Center

“…All regional blood-banks supplying blood units to blood-storage centers record the information on the number of blood units supplied, blood group of the supplied blood units, and dates of issue and expiry. [5] An audit is performed to understand the established transfusion practice. After implementing the guidelines, a repeat audit needs to be done to guarantee they are being followed.…”

“…[4] It is an important public-health responsibility of national and state government to ensure a safe supply of blood and blood products and its appropriate and rational clinical use of blood. [5] Transfusion medicine or blood bank audit embraces all procedures from blood procurement to the long term consequences of transfusion. [6] Blood-bank activities include recruitment and retention of donors; collection, testing, processing, and storage of blood; and clinical use of blood and blood components and training.…”