State body issues notice to blood bank over wastage

After a complaint filed on September 11 by RTI activist Chetan Kothari with the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) about the negligence and wastage on the part of Ambedkar Hospital’s blood bank, MMC issued a notice to Dr Navnath Jadhav, the BMC doctor who is in charge of the blood bank.

According to the complaint, blood wastage accounts to medical negligence on the part of the blood bank in Kandivali. 

The RTI reply reveals that there was wastage of 2,446 units of blood bags, that is, 856.1 litre of blood from 2009 to 2016.

Speaking about why the complaint was filed, Kothari said, “There has been discrepancy in blood storage records with the blood banks and Mumbai District Aids Control Society (MDACS). The records are manipulated. There is also an unavailability of pathological services at the hospital giving rise to the cut practice.”

As per the RTI reply received, in eight years from 2009 to 2016, according to MDACS records, total blood collection in this blood bank was 19,613 units of which 2,446 units have been expired. And during the same period, as per blood bank’s record, hospital had collected 21,735 units of blood of which 1,300 units are expired. 

The MMC has issued a notice to Dr Jadhav, stating that a detailed remark along with proof must be submitted. Chetan Kothari said, “MMC should decide on the punishment to be given to the doctor for medical negligence in the blood bank. The punishment will prevent re-occurrence of the incident in future.”