CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has ordered introduction of nucleic acid testing-polymerase chain reaction (NAT-PCR) blood testing facility in all the blood banks of the state within a year.There are 56 blood banks in the state while NAT-PCR blood testing facility is available in 11 blood banks including the traditional enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA) method which is used in the rest of the blood banks to detect viruses in blood before transfusing the same into patients.
A PIL had sought the court’s direction for introduction of NAT-PCR facility in all the blood banks on the ground that it enables detection of HIV 1 and 2, hepatitis B and C - infected blood much early as compared to the traditional ELISA. Amit Abhijit Samal, a resident of Bhubaneswar had filed the petition. Advocate Mohit Agarwal argued on behalf of the petitioner.
In pursuance of an earlier order, the state government had filed an affidavit stating that at present 47 per cent of total blood collections of the state are being tested through NAT-PCR method in the 11 blood banks which included two each in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar and one each in Berhampur and Burla.
Director of State Blood Transfusion Council Dr Nilakantha Mishra filed the affidavit, which stated that there was necessity for having NAT-PCR testing labs in blood centres in six district headquarter hospitals where the annual blood collection is more than 10,000 units. The NAT-PCR facility will be provided in these six blood centres in three years, Mishra said.
The affidavit was presented before the courton Wednesday. But the court was not impressed and the division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice SK Panigrahi said, “The three-year timeline is too long a time for any tangible change to occur on the ground in the near future.”
“The court, therefore, directs the additional chief secretary to government, Health and Family Welfare department to file a specific affidavit for opening of such NAT-PCR testing labs throughout Odisha in a phased manner beginning within the next three months and completing the entire exercise within one year.”
The bench has fixed March 1, 2023 as the next date for hearing on the matter while directing the additional chief secretary to government, Health and Family Welfare department to file the affidavit at least one week before it.