Unauthorised blood bank
Wednesday, 16 July 2008
RECENTLY one of my relations was in the hospital. He required several bags of blood. Family donors gave some while rest of the bags were purchased from a nearby blood bank. Recently, an anti-adulteration mobile court raided some blood banks in the city which were doing illegal business. We are scared to see this. We do not know whether we purchased uncontaminated blood or not. We have great doubts about the safety of the blood that was bought from that particular blood bank. The existence of unauthorised blood banks in the capital, many of which supply contaminated blood to their clients, gives us a cause for great concern.
Two blood-banks did not take permission from the authorities concerned. But what I think the matter is more than permission only. The mobile court found that the two blood banks were collecting blood for preservation in normal refrigerators. They do not have refrigerators specified for preserving bloods. The bags they used did not have the mandatory expiry date seal.
The so-called voluntary blood donation is very common in Dhaka city and other parts of the country. And, many commercially-run blood banks buy blood from people who are often drug addicts and sell blood under the pressing need for money. There is always a nexus between these unauthorised blood banks and the private clinics. Patients are put at significant health risks by using such blood. There are only nine authorised blood banks in the capital. But the number of bloods banks is much higher than this.
The unauthorised blood banks must not be allowed to function in the way they are doing their brisk business.
Ahmed Ali
Dhanmandi, Dhaka.
Two blood-banks did not take permission from the authorities concerned. But what I think the matter is more than permission only. The mobile court found that the two blood banks were collecting blood for preservation in normal refrigerators. They do not have refrigerators specified for preserving bloods. The bags they used did not have the mandatory expiry date seal.
The so-called voluntary blood donation is very common in Dhaka city and other parts of the country. And, many commercially-run blood banks buy blood from people who are often drug addicts and sell blood under the pressing need for money. There is always a nexus between these unauthorised blood banks and the private clinics. Patients are put at significant health risks by using such blood. There are only nine authorised blood banks in the capital. But the number of bloods banks is much higher than this.
The unauthorised blood banks must not be allowed to function in the way they are doing their brisk business.
Ahmed Ali
Dhanmandi, Dhaka.