14 September,2016 06:43 AM IST | | Rupsa Chakraborty
After Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) ordered shutting down of KEM Hospital’s blood bank due to lack of adequate manpower in June, the authority is keeping a strict watch on the hospital
After Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) ordered shutting down of KEM Hospital's blood bank due to lack of adequate manpower in June, the authority is keeping a strict watch on the hospital. On Monday, a vigilance officer from FDA visited the blood bank to check on the functioning of the bank. Another inspection will be carried out today.
"We had sent a notice to the hospital after we received a complaint which said the blood bank was functioning without an adequate number of pathologists and technicians. We ordered for the bank's closure until they fulfilled all requirements. We will visit the hospital to check on the blood bank," said Joint Commissioner B R Masal, FDA.
Stay on suspension
KEM Hospital, which was served suspension orders in July, has managed to get a stay order from the FDA, which has helped stop the sudden closure of the bank. So, while the bank is up and running, the FDA is keeping a strict watch on it. All requests for stay orders go to the state FDA minister.
Earlier, in FDA's routine inspections, it was found that the hospital's blood bank did not have enough blood transfusion officers (BTOs). As per rules of FDA, a blood bank functioning 24/7 is required to have at least three BTOs working in shifts. Also, it is mandatory that collecting and transfusing blood and its components have to be done in presence of a BTO to avoid errors.
KEM says
"It is a routine procedure that FDA follows in all blood banks. We are working as per FDA protocols," said Dr Avinash Supe, KEM's dean.
