Mumbai: Hospitals preying on patients’ relatives for replacement blood, NGO claims

NGO claims blood banks at private hospitals insist they replace blood used for patients with more units than what were needed; Blood Transfusion Council says pandemic has affected donation

With the shortage of blood in the city, an NGO has found that many private hospitals are hounding relatives to replace more units of blood than what might have been needed for the patient. The NGO has written to the State Blood Transfusion Council (SBTC) to take action as relatives are finding it difficult to provide the blood.

“As per the national blood policy, a blood bank can’t insist on replacement of blood. It can only request a patient's relative to do so. We have been noticing that the majority of city hospitals have been doing otherwise which is unethical,” said Vikas Vira, president, Tarun Mitra Mandal, who has written to the SBTC. The NGO which mainly works on organising blood donation camps, said in a day they get 10-12 calls for blood requirement, out of which 4-5 calls are for replacement blood from hassled relatives.

“There are blood banks of leading reputed hospitals in South Mumbai that have been running only on replacement blood. They insist on getting more than 10 to 20 units of blood as replacement, when the requirement is hardly two units. We have also observed that the extra replacement units are shown as volunteer donations, and the donors do not even receive the donor’s card,” said Vira. Vira said blood banks attached to private hospitals have even insisted for replacement blood from volunteer donors. Volunteer donors are entitled to a free unit of blood if they seek it. However, Vira said they are being asked to replace even this unit.

A screenshot of a message requesting replacement blood

'Hospitals relying on replacement donation'

Vira said this has been one of the major reasons for reduction in volunteer blood donations in Mumbai. “We have seen a major hesitancy from few private hospitals in participating in blood donation camps. One reason can be the replacement donation is helping them meet their daily demands without making any effort. The SBTC needs to take strict action,” he said. Agreeing to Vira, Vinay Shetty, of NGO Think Foundation said with the pandemic, hospitals have become more blatant in their demand, and SBTC needs to intervene as many relatives are suffering.

'Take only if you give more'

“Replacement blood was being practised before the pandemic too but now hospitals have become more blatant. The hospitals have been more than insisting on replacement blood and have many a times said the patient will get blood only if they provide a replacement donor. Action needs to be taken against the hospitals which fill their blood banks with replacement donations,” he said.

Dr Arun Thorat, assistant director, SBTC said the pandemic has affected blood donation camps and that’s why many hospitals are struggling with the requirement. “The NGO had brought up the issue to our notice. It is the hospital’s responsibility to arrange for the blood and not make the relatives of the patient run for it. We have been instructing the blood banks to start arranging blood donation camps to meet their requirements,” he said.

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