Patna: All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Patna, director Prabhat K. Singh has confirmed that the institute has got the nod to start its blood bank from the drug controller general of India (DCGI's) regional office in Calcutta.

The development assumes significance because the much-awaited trauma and emergency wing could not be made functional at the premier hospital without a blood bank.

Sources in the hospital said the absence of a blood bank forces doctors at AIIMS-Patna to conduct only routine surgeries and not major surgeries like gastro-intestinal, thoracic, paediatric and gynaecological surgeries, which could require more blood.

Doctors at AIIMS bring required units of blood from other blood banks before conducting routine surgeries and sometimes even for elective surgeries planned in advance. They had to refer patients to other hospitals because of not having blood in the storage.

AIIMS has now set the target of starting its much-awaited trauma and emergency wing facility in May, its director has confirmed.

"We have got information from the regional office of the drug controller general of India that the document related to our blood bank has already been signed last week," said Singh.

The DCGI team had pointed out at manpower, equipment and structure-related deficiencies at that time, including that of machines like coagulometer.

Coagulometer is a medical laboratory analyser used to test haemostasis system, a process that causes bleeding to stop, first stage of wound-healing. The central team also objected to the presence of a lone senior resident against the need of a regular staff as a reason for holding back the licence.

Good and bad news are both in store for AIIMS-Patna. Dr Satyaprakash, who had recently joined as an assistant professor in the department of transfusion medicine and blood bank, has put in his papers.

Director Singh announced that eight operation theatres and 500 beds were also ready.