Odisha to hire more staff to overcome crunch in blood banks

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Jun 24:

Odisha government will soon recruit 60 laboratory technicians to meet the shortage of manpower in blood banks across the state.

“Today we decided to very soon appoint nearly 60 laboratory technicians under the National Health Mission (NHM) and about 50-60 data entry operators to meet the staff shortage problem. We have issued directives to blood bank officers and those who are in-charge to strictly adhere to the guidelines. Those found violating will be surely punished,” informed Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak Minister Health & Family Welfare briefing newsmen today after a review meeting chaired by him here at the state secretariat on proper management and development of the three medical colleges and 53 blood banks in the state.

While Rs 16 crore will be spent for augmenting infrastructure in blood banks in the state, an amount of Rs 5 crore will be spent for buying modern equipment, said an official who was present at the meeting.

The Health department has issued an advisory to all the three government-run medical colleges and 53 blood banks to adopt proper procedure and maintain transparency while testing blood and its transfusion. Violation of the advisory will incur action. Committees have been constituted at the district level to monitor and check the implementation of the advisory.

“We have issued an advisory this morning which has guidelines on how to follow standard operating procedures as per protocol provided in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. We have made it clear that so far blood safety is concerned we have zero tolerance. Whosoever is found to be negligent, action will be surely taken against him/her. The advisory has elaborate details on the protocols to be adopted by those in-charge,” said Arti Ahuja, principal secretary Health & Family Welfare.