CHENNAI: Though Tamil Nadu was left shocked by the news of several botched blood transfusions in the recent past, facilities at blood banks across the State continue to remain woefully inadequate. For instance, 67 of 89 government blood banks in the State — including the largest blood collection unit of Tamil Nadu in the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital — are functioning without a counsellor.
Counsellors play an important role in providing information to users. They also refer donors for further investigations, management or even treatment if required. “Counsellor posts are lying vacant in 67 government blood banks in the State,” a highly placed source told Express.
“Of the 89, 28 blood banks are supported by the National AIDS Control Organisation. Of those 28, 16 don’t have counsellors.”
“Of the remaining 61, supported by the State Health Department, hardly 10 have counsellors. In some blood banks, the post has been lying vacant for years,” the source added.
“Counsellors play a crucial role. If donors test positive for infections that spread through blood transfusions, such as HIV, it’s the counsellor who has to refer them to an Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre,” said the source. This assumes significance because in the Sattur case, where a woman contracted HIV through transfusion, the donor was allegedly not informed by the blood bank that he was HIV positive.