Red Cross Blood Bank in Capital Hospital. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, May 13: A blood component separation unit in the Red Cross Blood Bank on the premises of the Capital Hospital here has been lying defunct for the past three months.

The unit, which was set up in 2001 at a cost of about Rs 50 lakh, is lying non-operational mainly because of absence of two refrigerators for preservation.

The blood bank provides nearly 18,000 units of blood every year, out of which 3,000 blood separation components are needed.

But, with the facility being closed down for the last three months, the patients of the capital have to suffer as there is only another healthcare centre in the city — the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Hospital — that has the similar facility.

The blood component separation unit at the BMC Hospital too is not enough to meet the demands of the patients. As a result, the patients are forced to depend on the Central Red Cross Blood Bank in Cuttack.

Sources at the Capital Hospital said while inspecting the unit, the drugs controller directed the hospital authorities to shut it down because of unavailability of two refrigerators — of the temperature of -40 degrees Celsius and -80 degrees Celsius — that are needed for preserving the blood components.

A blood component separation unit separates red blood cells (RBCs), plasma and platelets for specific use in different treatment processes.

A blood component separation unit has the facility to separate the different components of blood and store it in designated containers. Blood components are essential in the treatment of cancer and kidney-related diseases. It also assumes significance as one unit of blood can be used for treatment of as many as three to four patients.

“When I approached the blood bank at the Capital Hospital for plasma, I was told that the unit was no longer in operation. As a result, I was forced to buy it from a private hospital at a higher price,” said Bibhu Baral, a relative of a patient.

At a time when the National Blood Policy is emphasising on component therapy, the closure of the unit has raised many eyebrows. “The cost of blood components is less as compared to a full unit of blood. For a state such as Odisha, which is not fully sufficient to meet the demand for blood, component therapy can meet the demand,” said secretary of state Red Cross Mangala Prasad Mohanty.

However chief medical officer of Capital Hospital Sudarshan Das said the authorities were aware of the defunct unit. “I have called a meeting on Wednesday to discuss on this. Steps will soon be taken to restart the unit,” he said.