Mumbai: 1 in every 10 units of blood expired at BMC-run hospital in 2 years, reveals RTI

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In a recent RTI filed by an activist from Mumbai, it has been revealed that 517 units of blood bags have expired in the last two years in the BMC-run Rajawadi Hospital.

According to the data shared in the RTI, there has been an increase in the wastage of blood (whole blood and packed red blood cells) during the Covid-19 pandemic in the blood bank of Rajawadi Hospital.

The RTI response received by an activist shows that in 2020, the blood bank had a loss of 225 blood bag units (67 litres) due to expiry, which increased to 292 blood bag units (58.5 litres) in 2021. The quantity of blood bag units differs on the various blood components.

RTI activist, Chetan Kothari, said, "It would not be wrong to mention that the expiry has increased by 91 per cent or 11 times in the last five years. A total of 776 blood bags or 200 litres of blood expired in five years. In 2020, 10.6 per cent of collected blood expired, and in 2021, 11 per cent of collected blood expired. One bag expired out of every 10 blood bags collected in 2020 and 2021."

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The RTI activist added, "One reason for the expiry is the delay in testing the pooled blood. Additionally, vacancy of technicians could also be a reason for this. The hospital has created six new posts for blood bank technicians in 2019, but even after three years, these posts are not filled."

The data shows that a total of 776 blood bags or 200 litres of blood expired in five years.

Dr Kashinath Jadhav, in-charge of the blood bank in Rajawadi Hospital, said, "On an average five per cent of the collected blood bags get wasted in a year but during the Covid-19 pandemic it rose to 10 per cent. I can assure you that we are not facing manpower shortfall at all."

He added, "Due to Covid-induced restrictions, our blood camps were reduced to 25-30 in a year. We have over 50 camps in a year. Similarly, the utilisation of blood in the blood bank was also reduced during the pandemic and that led to an increase in the blood unit being wasted."