SC seeks Centre, state govts' reply on plea to regulate blood banks

The Supreme Court on Monday sought response from Centre and all the state governments on a plea seeking direction to strengthen and regulate blood banks and blood storage units across the country.

The division bench of Justices Rohinton F Nariman and S Ravindra Bhat has issued notices and also sought response from National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC), National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) and union territories along with the Centre and state governments.

The petition sought direction to regulate blood banks in the priority districts under Categories A, B and C, as identified by the National AIDS Control Programme- III, under the National Aids Control Organization.

The joint petition filed by the Association of Rural Surgeons of India, Jan Swasthya Sahayog, Shaheed Hospital also sought directions from the Centre for setting up Blood banks in all district hospitals in compliance with National Blood Policy and the NBTC Guidelines, 2007.

It also sought a direction to the Centre for establishing a separate monitoring body for all purposes relating to blood and blood transfusion services under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

The number of registered and licensed blood banks in India is extremely low --less than 3 blood banks per 10 lakh population, the plea claimed.