If the recommendations of an expert committee set up by the state health ministry and State Blood Transfusion Council (SBTC) are taken up, then soon the cost of a bag of blood might double.
If the recommendations of an expert committee set up by the state health ministry and State Blood Transfusion Council (SBTC) are taken up, then soon the cost of a bag of blood might double.
Two months ago, an expert committee of representatives from SBTC, seven prominent blood banks and a few government officials was set up to look into demands from blood banks to hike service charges.
The blood banks had said that it was getting impossible to process and deliver a bag of blood at the current rate of Rs850 per bag. The committee was then set up to study the revision of service charges of blood across the state.
“Currently a blood bank can levy a service charge of Rs850 per bag. This rate was fixed by Central government through a notification in 2007. During the last four years, inflation and rising costs of technology, as well as payments to technicians and doctors have risen considerably. Blood banks are complaining of losses and citing inability to survive in such a climate and demanding revision of service charges,” said Dr Dileep Wani, SBTC member and president of the Pune chapter of Indian Society of Blood Transfusion and Immuno-Haemotology.
After three meetings between all stakeholders so far, it was decided that the minimum rate for processing a bag of blood incurred by a blood bank is Rs1,310. While Wani claimed that this was the final rate decided upon, Dr Atul Kulkarni from Jankalyan Blood Bank — who is also a member of the expert committee — said that a few more charges and calculations were later suggested to be analysed.
“The minimum range arrived was Rs1,310 and this rate was decided by assuming an average of 5,000 bags per bank annually. However, there are other factors involved like specialised tests at times, component separation, rates differ according to rural or urban areas as well as octroi,” Kulkarni said.
The only exception would be thalassemia patients, who would get blood for transfusion free of cost, according to SBTC rules.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}