Govt fails to operationalise blood storage units

Availability of blood storage/transfusion units at referral hospitals is essential for providing emergency obstetric care services.

As of April 2011, out of 10 district hospitals, civil hospitals and 29 community health centres in the state, only seven blood storage units (BSUs) and one blood component separation laboratory (BCSL) were functional in Meghalaya.

In order to provide obstetric care closer to the community by strengthening the blood bank services, state government decided to establish BSUs at 11 health facilities and BCSL at Tura civil hospital under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

The CAG report revealed that the Meghalaya state health society (MSHS) constructed additional rooms during 2012 to 2014 and procured necessary equipment in 2016-17 for establishing BSUs and BCSL in the selected district hospitals, civil hospitals and community health centres.

It said that the equipment procured for eight district hospitals and CHCs and one BCSL was commissioned in November 2016 and March 2017. All the equipment commissioned had a warranty of two years from the date of their commissioning.

However, licenses to operationalize these has not even been applied for and the warranty period of all these expired (the latest being March 2019) without these being utilized even once.

“Thus, additional infrastructure created and equipment procured for 9 BSUs in DH/CHCs and one BCSL at Tura at a total cost of 0.93 crore were lying idle for want of procurement of equipment, posting of specialized manpower and license to run the BSUs/BCSL,” the CAG said.

“Besides, the objective of providing obstetric care closer to the community by strengthening blood bank services in the state was defeated,” it added.

On this being pointed out, the health and family welfare department admitted that licenses were yet to be obtained.

By Our Reporter