Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Panel to be formed to coordinate functioning of blood banks

Special Correspondent

Representatives of Government, private blood banks to be members

Thiruvananthapuram: The Government has decided to set up a committee comprising representatives of blood banks in the Government and private sectors, Health Minister P.K. Sreemathy said on Thursday.

She was inaugurating a workshop for medical officers of private blood banks here.

The committee would help to streamline and coordinate the functioning of blood banks across the State, she said. It would be chaired by the project director of the Kerala State AIDS Control Society (KSACS).

The panel would include the additional project director of KSACS, the additional director of Blood Safety division and representatives of Government and private blood banks.

It would come up with recommendations to improve the functioning of blood banks.

Ms. Sreemathy said the participation of private blood banks in the initiative would ensure a good response to voluntary blood donation. She said the Government was receptive to the idea of cooperation for mutual benefit.

KSACS project director Dinesh Arora presided over the workshop. Additional project director K. Shailaja, deputy director T.V. Velayudhan, Assistant Drugs Controller K. Surendran and drug inspector N. Shifila participated.

There are 34 blood banks in the Government sector and 104 in the private sector in the State.

The voluntary blood donation rate in the State is estimated at 35 per cent against the national rate of 51 per cent.

As many as 29,211 units of blood were received through voluntary donation in the State up to March this year, while 49,850 units were obtained through replacement donation.

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