Current status of blood banks in India

Abstract

Despite the current advances in technology in health-care delivery, access to safe blood and blood products and their judicious use remains a big challenge. There is a stark difference between developed and developing nations as less than half of hospitals in developing nation provide blood transfusion services. While the health sector in India has made outstanding accomplishments in the past few decades, it has not reciprocated sufficiently to fulfil the country's objective on blood transfusion facilities. Indian blood transfusion network is plagued by inadequacy of blood storage centers, dominance of private sector over public sectors, lack of proper facilities, storage & quality of services etc. Revamping blood transfusion system is the basic necessity to provide basic care. The challenges to overcome such hindrances may be unification of blood transfusion services to maintain the standard or duplication of services, focus on quality of service provided, adoption of newer technologies, strengthening of reporting and information system to maintain the inventory, emphasis on equitable distribution blood and blood products and many more. These changes can be made through framing a strong policy, functional planning and setting standards.