THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Four years after a high-level committee recommended at least three Nucleic Acid-based Techniques (NAT) laboratories in the State for HIV detection, the government is yet to wake up from its slumber despite reports of a child cancer patient at the Regional Cancer Centre turning HIV positive and another suspected to have contracted the virus.
It was in 2013 an expert committee set up by the government to inquire into the incident of an eight-year-old girl in Wayanad contracting HIV infection, allegedly through blood transfusion, recommended at least three NAT laboratories in the state. The committee had said the facility should be made mandatory for cancer patients undergoing more transfusions.
Following reports of HIV infection through blood transfusion in RCC, the government seems to have to have taken serious note of the situation.
Talking to Express, Health Secretary Rajeev Sadanandan said, “Earlier there was a proposal for setting up NAT facility, but it was not taken forward. Now we are looking forward to this. We are ensuring the facility is made available in places where people undergo more transfusions, especially with respect to cancer patients.” He said the cost of installing NAT equipment was high and it should be worked out before installing it. When asked if it would be introduced in all the government medical colleges, he said the cost factor has to be worked out.
Noting the transfusion system was one of the drawbacks the state was facing, he said the government was for streamlining the transfusion system in the state. “We have already done a baseline assessment of the blood banks in the state. The WHO representatives are also coming here as part of developing a comprehensive blood bank system,” he said.
Sadanandan also mentioned one of the major issues related to blood donation is related to professional donors. He opined professional blood donors should be discouraged and more younger people should be made aware of blood donation.
The government has already embarked on preparing a comprehensive guideline on blood transfusions, focusing on improving the quality of transfusion services and improving quality of prescribing practices. Right from collection, storage, transportation, indenting and supplying, the guidelines are known to touch all aspects related to blood. The task force constituted for framing the guidelines is likely to submit the draft to the government at the earliest. It is learned the guidelines prepared on the basis of WHO guidelines are almost complete.