CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Thursday disposed of two PILs which had sought introduction of advanced nucleic acid testing polymerase chain reaction (NAT-PCR) technology in all blood banks of the state.
The petitions - one of which was filed by lawyer Prabir Kumar Das in-person in 2012 and the other by Amit Abhijit Samal through advocate Mohit Agarwal in 2017 had sought judicial intervention on the ground that NAT-PCR testing facility enables detection of HIV 1 and 2, hepatitis B and C - infected blood much earlier as compared to the traditional ELISA Test.
The division bench of Acting Chief Justice BR Sarangi and Justice MS Raman disposed of the petitions hoping the state government will not seek further extension and stick to its commitment stated in an affidavit to operationalise the NAT-PCR testing facility in all blood collection centres by the end of 2025.
Sources said, there are 56 blood banks in the state and the government has NAT-PCR testing facility in 11 of them including two each in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar and one each in Berhampur and Burla. At present, 47 per cent of blood collected in the state is being tested through NAT-PCR at 11 collection centres.
In pursuance to the court’s direction, Health & Family Welfare department commissioner-cum-secretary Shalini Pandit had filed an affidavit stating the state government had decided in principle to expand NAT-PCR blood testing facility simultaneously to all the remaining 45 blood centres in the state at an estimated cost of Rs 200 crore by the end of 2025.