Published Feb 19, 2024 | 5:25 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 19, 2024 | 5:25 PM
DCA Telangana issued show cause notices to two blood banks. (Supplied)
On Monday, 19 February, Telangana’s Drugs Control Administration (DCA) wielded its regulatory might, decisively revoking the licenses of two Hyderabad-based blood banks engaged in the illicit sale of human plasma.
The culpable establishments, namely the Srikara Hospital Blood Centre at Madinaguda, Miyapur, and the New Life Educational Society Blood Centre at Darulshifa, found themselves at the wrong end of the DCA’s punitive measures.
This stern response from the regulatory body stems from their involvement in an underground plasma collection racket uncovered during a raid in Moosapet on 2 February, 2024.
Read our report on the blood products racket
The racket unfolded when DCA officers, acting on credible intel, executed a raid at Haemo Service Laboratories in the Moosapet area.
Within the confines of an apartment, operated by R Raghavendra Naik, a clandestine collection of plasma from various blood banks was unearthed. The stash of human plasma bags, stored in freezers, pointed to a systemic violation of norms, as the plasma was amassed for unauthorised sales.
“DCA officers found that Srikara Hospital Blood Bank and New Life Educational Society Blood Centre illegally sold plasma to R Raghavendra Naik of Haemo Service Laboratories, not adhering to the norms,” Director General of the DCA VB Kamalasan Reddy said, in a statement.
Prompt and decisive action followed, as DCA officers swiftly raided the implicated blood banks, confirming the illegal transactions with Haemo Service Laboratories upon verification.
The DCA explained that at blood banks, plasma is separated from whole blood, which is collected from donors, through a process called plasmapheresis. After collection, it must be frozen within six hours to preserve its integrity. Plasma must be stored in freezers at temperatures below -30°C to maintain its stability and prevent degradation.
With show cause notices issued to Srikara Hospital Blood Centre and New Life Educational Society Blood Centre post-inspections, the DCA underscored concerns over the illicit plasma sale and reported violations, breaching blood bank norms.
“As the illegal sale of plasma by blood banks can have detrimental consequences on public health, the licences of the two blood banks — Srikara Hospital Blood Centre’ in Madinaguda, Miyapur, and New Life Educational Society Blood Centre in Darulshifa, Hyderabad — have been cancelled by the Drugs Control Administration, Telangana, with immediate effect, in the larger public interest,” Reddy said.
Blood banks must implement stringent measures to prevent such activities and ensure the integrity of blood banking practices. Stringent action shall be taken as per the law against violators, the DCA Director said.
Human plasma plays a crucial role in various medical treatments and therapies. Plasma transfusions are essential in treating patients with clotting disorders, such as haemophilia, and those who have undergone massive blood loss or trauma. It is also used in the treatment of immunodeficiency disorders and autoimmune diseases. Plasma is also administered to patients in critical conditions, such as severe burns, to stabilise their condition and prevent complications.
