VIJAYAWADA: Starting the blood component separation unit at the New Government General Hospital (GGH) in the city is likely to take more time due to the change of officials in the department and delay in the e-procurement of machinery. As a result, there has been a shortage of blood in the blood bank of the hospital and people in need have been suffering.
Though almost all of the required machinery were received, a few key components and accreditation from the NABH are awaited, which could take a few months time, or even more. Usually, the daily demand for fresh blood in both the GGHs is around 40 to 50 sachets. The blood bank is able to supply only up to 35 sachets every day. Patients who are in need of only platelets are also being given fresh blood, as the private blood banks charge over `10,000 for a single unit of platelets, and the poor, who are under treatment at the GGHs are not able to afford it.
Though the authorities at the GGH have signed an MoU with three private blood banks in the city to supply blood components, at the time of heavy rush they are not coming to the aid. Speaking to TNIE, P Nancharaiah, Superintendent of the city GGH said, “We are yet to procure some equipment regarding the blood components separator unit and we need to recruit staff for the lab. As of now, we have ties with three private blood banks for the supply of the components.”
Even in cases where the patient requires packed cells, frozen plasma or platelets, fresh blood is being supplied. As per the information, a patient was given 21 packets of fresh blood as a substitute to three units of frozen plasma. In this way, several blood units are getting wasted.
Despite setting up the separator unit almost a year ago, due to certain lapses in procuring the equipment, it’s operation was delayed. In the past six months, there has been no progress in the work, in terms of procuring equipment and other materials needed for the unit. The file sanctioning the procurement was cleared by the hospital authorities, Directorate of Medical Education (DME) but the e-procurement of the pending equipment got delayed due to the transfer of officials.
According to the sources, a major share of the required equipment worth over `85 lakh has come, but few necessary things, which would cost between `15 to `20 lakh are still due to arrive. These include blood storage cabinets, laminars, sterile tube connector, hot air oven and autoclave machine. Also, the lab requires staff that are yet to be trained by the department.“Once we get the component separation unit, everything will be handy. The antenatal cases that require only packed cells, can get cells from here. For treating dengue and viral cases, patients can get platelets readily, instead of going to private blood banks,” said a GGH official.