Karnataka Government Implements Stringent Blood Safety Measures Following HIV Scare
The Karnataka government is rolling out a comprehensive set of rigorous measures designed to make blood transfusion processes completely foolproof across the state. This decisive action comes in direct response to alarming recent reports from Haryana's Faridabad, where two thalassaemia patients allegedly contracted HIV after receiving infected blood during transfusion procedures.
Mandatory Accreditation and Certification Requirements
In recent government orders issued by the Karnataka State Blood Transfusion Council, all blood banks operating within the state must now obtain accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) or secure certification under the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) programme. Blood banks have been given a strict deadline of one year to comply with these new mandatory requirements.
"To obtain these accreditations and certifications, blood banks will have to follow international standard protocols that ensure the safety of the blood," explained Padma Basavanthappa, project director of the AIDS Prevention Society. "The accreditation rule is currently not mandatory under the National Blood Transfusion Bill, 2025, but we have proposed to the Centre to include it in the legislation."
Strengthening Management Through District-Level Appointments
The state government is appointing senior professors from blood-transfusion medicine or pathology departments as district blood transfusion officers. These specialized appointments aim to significantly strengthen the management and oversight of blood banks at the district level, ensuring consistent implementation of safety protocols across all facilities.
Statewide Blood Bank Landscape and Inspection Protocols
Karnataka currently operates a total of 266 blood centres, with 223 of these being privately managed facilities. Bengaluru leads the state with the highest concentration of blood banks at 85 centres (72 private and 13 government), followed by Belagavi, Bagalkot, Dakshina Kannada, and Kalaburagi districts.
The health department, in collaboration with officials from the drug control department, conducts surprise inspections of these blood banks every three to six months. This regular inspection protocol will continue alongside the new accreditation requirements to maintain consistent oversight.
Advanced Testing Technology Implementation
Recognizing that thalassaemia patients require frequent blood transfusions, the health department has decided to implement Multiplex Nucleic Acid Testing (MNAT) across government hospitals. This more sensitive testing method can detect infections even if they were contracted within the past 24 hours, compared to the current standard ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) testing protocol.
"If a donor is infected and we test the blood before transfusing it to a patient, infection might not show up for 3 to 5 days on a regular test," said Harsh Gupta, principal secretary of the health department. "But MNAT test can detect the infection even if it was contracted in the past 24 hours. We are purchasing them for all government hospitals."
Gupta added that equipment at blood banks is also being systematically upgraded or replaced based on specific requirements to ensure optimal testing capabilities.
Critical Quality Standards and Enforcement Mechanisms
The new regulations emphasize several critical quality standards that blood banks must adhere to:
- Blood collection, testing, storage, and transfusion processes must follow strict quality and safety standards
- Centres must implement standard protocols for donor screening, infection testing, storage, and traceability of blood units
- Blood bank licenses will be cancelled if facilities fail to obtain required accreditation or certification within the one-year deadline
These comprehensive measures represent Karnataka's proactive approach to addressing blood transfusion safety concerns and preventing future infections through contaminated blood products.
