Lok Sabha Question No. 1502 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-10
Subject: Blood Bank Facility
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Ramcharan Bohra

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1502 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10 th  FEBRUARY, 2023

## BLOOD BANK FACILITY

## 1502. SHRI RAMCHARAN BOHRA:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of Blood Banks functional in public and private sectors in the country, State/UTwise;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  has  formulated  any  plan  to  set  up  Blood  Banks  in  remote  areas, flood prone rural areas and border areas of the country on priority basis; (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether any co-ordination is being established among  the  public sector, voluntary organizations and the private sector to promote voluntary blood donation; (e) if so, the details thereof; and
- (f)  the  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government to put a check on illegal sale of blood and other associated illegal activities?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

(a) to (f)

There are 3917 licensed Blood Banks (Blood Centres) in the country up to  31.01.2023. Statewise/UT-wise details of blood banks in public and private sectors are given at Annexure A.

The  policy  of  the  Government  advocates  for  a  hub  and  spoke  approach  towards  transfusion services,  wherein  blood  is  collected  and  processed  in  the  hubs,  which  are  high  volume  blood banks and distributed through spokes, which are smaller blood banks and blood storage centers. The requirement of blood banks depends upon the health infrastructure of the area.  However, blood storage centres can be established in remote areas to meet the emergency requirement of blood, which may be attached to the blood banks.

Public Health is a State subject and it is the primary responsibility of the State/UT Government to ensure the establishment of blood banks as per their need. Support is provided to States/UTs to strengthen their healthcare system including strengthening existing blood banks /supporting new blood  banks  and  blood  storage  units  based  on  the  proposals  submitted  by  the  States  through National Health Mission. Govt. of India through Blood Transfusion Services, also supports 1131 Blood banks in the Public and Charitable sector in respect of manpower, procurement of Blood Bags  and  testing  kits,  conducting  Voluntary  Blood  Donation  (VBD)  camps  and  Information Education Communication (IEC) activities etc. In addition, Mobile vans for Blood collection and blood transportation vans are provided to the States/UTs.

Steps  have  been  taken  to  engage  with  different  Government  Departments,  Public  sector undertakings, States and Union Territories, international partners like WHO,  voluntary organizations like Indian Red Cross Society, blood donor associations, professional associations and  other  stakeholders  for  creating  opportunities  to  donate  and  raise  public  awareness  on  the need for safe blood donation and transfusion in the country. The Government supports various activities like organising blood donation camps, observance of special days namely World Blood Donor  Day  and  Voluntary  Blood  Donation  Day,  pledging  campaigns  and  motivating  various youth  groups  for  blood  donation  etc.  Facility  for  registration  of  persons  willing  for  blood donation has been enabled on Aarogya Setu App to facilitate voluntary blood donation. The eRaktKosh web portal is earmarked to serve as the interface for Blood Centres/Blood Banks and also for registration of Blood donation camps and voluntary blood donors. The Government has also  made  a  provision  of  four  special  casual  leaves  per  year  that  can  be  availed  by  Central Government employees for donating blood.

It  is  for  the  concerned  States/UTs  Government  to  take  steps  to  put  a  check  on  illegal  sale  of blood and other associated illegal activities.

The  Central  Drugs  Standard  Control  Organization  (CDSCO)  jointly  with  the  State  Drugs Licensing  Authority  regulates  Blood  Banks  for  collection,  storage  and  processing  of  whole Human Blood and/ or its Components as per provisions of Drugs & Cosmetics Act 1940 & Rules 1945  and  actions  are  taken  on  the  basis  of  reported  observations/violations  through  the inspections. e-RaktKosh, an initiative of Government of India to monitor the blood banks, is an integrated Blood Bank Management Information System that interconnects all the blood banks into a single network.

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## Annexure A

State / UT wise number of licensed Blood Centres (Blood Banks) in India up to 31 st JAN. 2023

| S.No   | Name of State/UT                   |   GOVERNMENT | PRIVATE   |   TOTAL |
|--------|------------------------------------|--------------|-----------|---------|
| 1      | Andaman &Nicobar                   |           02 | 01        |      03 |
| 2      | Andhra Pradesh                     |           40 | 174       |     214 |
| 3      | Arunachal Pradesh                  |           11 | 01        |      12 |
| 4      | Assam                              |           43 | 39        |      82 |
| 5      | Bihar                              |           54 | 56        |     110 |
| 6      | Chandigarh                         |           03 | 01        |      04 |
| 7      | Chhattisgarh                       |           38 | 85        |     123 |
| 8      | Dadra &Nagar Haveli and Daman &Diu |           03 | -         |      03 |
| 09     | NCT of Delhi                       |           24 | 55        |      79 |
| 10     | Goa                                |           03 | 02        |      05 |
| 11     | Gujarat                            |           29 | 150       |     179 |
| 12     | Haryana                            |           32 | 109       |     141 |
| 13     | Himachal Pradesh                   |           20 | 04        |      24 |
| 14     | Jammu &Kashmir                     |           35 | 7         |      42 |
| 15     | Ladakh                             |           03 |           |      03 |
| 16     | Jharkhand                          |           31 | 34        |      65 |
| 17     | Karnataka                          |           42 | 220       |     262 |
| 18     | Kerala                             |           39 | 158       |     197 |
| 19     | Lakshadweep                        |           01 | -         |      01 |
| 20     | Madhya Pradesh                     |           72 | 88        |     160 |
| 21     | Maharashtra                        |           87 | 280       |     367 |
| 22     | Manipur                            |            4 | 2         |       6 |
| 23     | Meghalaya                          |            8 | 2         |      10 |
| 24     | Mizoram                            |            9 | 2         |      11 |
| 25     | Nagaland                           |           05 | 01        |      06 |
| 26     | Odisha                             |           61 | 21        |      82 |
| 27     | Pondicherry                        |           05 | 12        |      17 |
| 28     | Punjab                             |           53 | 115       |     168 |
| 29     | Rajasthan                          |           64 | 161       |     225 |
| 30     | Sikkim                             |           05 | 01        |      06 |
| 31     | Tamil Nadu                         |          106 | 232       |     338 |
| 32     | Telangana                          |           61 | 207       |     268 |
| 33     | Tripura                            |           12 | 02        |      14 |
| 34     | Uttar Pradesh                      |          111 | 371       |     482 |
| 35     | Uttarakhand                        |           26 | 30        |      56 |
| 36     | West Bengal                        |          105 | 47        |     152 |
|        | Total                              |         1247 | 2670      |    3917 |