Kolkata, August 29: In response to numerous irregularities reported at blood donation camps organized by private blood banks, NGOs, and volunteers across West Bengal, the health department has decided to enforce stricter regulations. These rules will govern the organization of camps, collection of blood units, and their distribution.
The primary focus of the state health department is to ensure greater transparency in appointing medical officers for these blood donation camps. A source from the department revealed that it has come to their attention that some camps are appointing medical students as medical officers instead of qualified doctors to cut costs.
The state government emphasized, “In any blood donation camp, donors must undergo health checks conducted by qualified doctors. Therefore, the role of medical officers in these camps is crucial. Any oversight during the pre-donation health checks can pose significant risks to donors. Hence, the department prioritizes ensuring that blood bank organizers appoint only qualified doctors with valid registration numbers as medical officers. Under no circumstances should medical students or interns be appointed as medical officers for these camps.”
According to officials, organizers must verify the backgrounds of qualified doctors, particularly their registration numbers, before appointing them as medical officers for such camps. Organizers are also required to keep the state health department informed about the details of the appointed medical officers. An official from the health department stated, “Any violations in this matter will lead to strict action against the organizers.”
Additionally, the state government will request officials from all medical colleges and hospitals, both public and private, to inform medical students about the risks associated with participating as medical officers in blood donation camps, which can be detrimental to both themselves and the donors.
A health department official noted, “Medical students often lack awareness that accepting the offer to work as a medical officer could lead to severe disciplinary actions, including the cancellation of their registration. Therefore, it is the duty of the relevant medical college and hospital officials to make their students aware of these disciplinary complications.”
Following reports of black market activities involving blood and plasma from various corners of the state, the health department has initiated inspections of the infrastructure of private blood banks. The aim of these inspections is to assess whether these banks possess essential facilities for screening and preserving blood collected beyond a certain capacity, and whether their infrastructure aligns with the volume of blood collected through regular donation camps.
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