Bengal to set up four blood component separation units
KOLKATA: The state Health department has taken up initiative to set up four blood component separation units (BCSU) across the state to address the crisis of blood which is reported sometimes from various parts.
After Covid pandemic broke out, the number of blood donation camps came down resulting in blood crisis. There are currently 36 BCSU across the state. The department is now coming up with four more so that the process of separating blood components is not affected. Setting up more BCSU will be able to address the issue. During the last summer, there was no major blood crisis issue in the state as there were adequate camps. Various components of blood are segregated in these separation units. Various NGOs which have been working on the issue have placed their demand for setting up more BCSU in the districts so that the blood collected from the camps are not sent to the city for the segregation of the components. In another development, the health department will regularise the supply of packed red blood cells (PRBC) for thalassaemia patients who need blood transfusion at government facilities. For effective implementation, blood centers which have no BCSU have been tagged with those which have the separation facility for uniform and uninterrupted supply of PRBC throughout the state.
It may be mentioned here that all thalassaemia control units (TCU) have been asked to submit an updated list of transfusion-dependent thalassaemia patients to hospitals and blood centres. Around 22,000 thalassaemia patients are currently getting regular blood transfusion at government facilities. Around 30-40 per cent of blood units in Bengal are sent for thalassaemia patients. State currently has 36 BCSUs, 36 TCUs and 51 non-BCSUs The Health department has decided to supply packed red blood cells (PRBC) to all Thalassemia patients. PRBC will be issued from various blood centres such as BCSU and also non-BCSU centers. According to a recent Health department order, all non-BCSU blood centres will receive PRBC from a BCSU through bulk transfer of components.
