On the recommendation of the National Blood Transfusion Council, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has identified two major initiatives towards better utilisation of blood and blood components.
The first step is permitting the transfer of blood from one blood bank to another. This was not allowed earlier and will help in transfer of blood to places of scarcity. Detailed guidelines for proper and efficient transport of blood between banks have been prescribed.
The second step is fixing of an exchange value for surplus plasma available at some blood banks in the country. In the absence of the enabling provision, surplus plasma was traded or sold by the blood banks without any regulation whatsoever. Now an exchange value of Rs.1600/- per litre of plasma has been fixed and the blood banks with surplus plasma can exchange it for consumables, equipments etc. or plasma derived products, as per their need. This exchange, however, cannot be in terms of cash.
Did You Know?
- The National Blood Transfusion Council is the apex body for formulating policy matters pertaining to the organisation, operation, standards and training of a sustainable and safe blood transfusion service for the country.
- A newborn baby has about one cup of blood in his body.
- Only female mosquitoes drink blood. Males are vegetarians.
- There are 100,000 miles of blood vessels in an adult human body
- James Harrison has donated blood over 1,000 times saving over 2 million unborn babies from Rhesus disease.
- A red blood cell can make a complete circuit of the body in 30 seconds. 8% of your body weight is in the blood.
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World Blood Donor Day is observed on
