Akhil Blood Centres Association is committed to upholding the highest standards of safety, quality, and legal compliance in blood transfusion services. All member blood centres must strictly adhere to the following statutory norms:
1. Licensing & Legal Compliance
- Form 28-C License: Every blood centre must hold a valid, renewed Form 28-C manufacturing license issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CDSCO.
- Timely Renewal: License renewal applications must be submitted well before the expiry date in accordance with state guidelines.
- Regulatory Compliance: Centres must strictly follow all directives issued by the State Blood Transfusion Council (SBTC) and National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC).
2. Qualified Personnel & Staffing
- Medical Officer: A full-time, registered Medical Officer with qualifications in Pathology, Transfusion Medicine, or relevant blood banking experience must be present during operational hours.
- Trained Technicians: Laboratory testing and component separation must be conducted exclusively by qualified technicians (DMLT / B.Sc. MLT).
- Ongoing Training: Staff must undergo regular training on modern blood collection techniques, bio-safety, and quality management.
3. Blood Donation Camps & Donor Safety
- Prior Approvals: Organizers must obtain necessary permissions and inform local health authorities / SBTC before conducting outdoor blood donation drives.
- Voluntary Non-Remunerated Donation: Blood collection must be 100% voluntary. Paid or commercial blood donation is strictly prohibited by law.
- Donor Criteria: Donors must be aged between 18 and 65 years, weigh at least 45 kg, and have a minimum Hemoglobin (Hb) level of 12.5 gm/dL.
- Cold Chain Maintenance: Collected blood units must be transported immediately in validated blood transport boxes maintained at 2°C to 6°C.
4. Mandatory Screening & Testing
Every collected blood unit must undergo mandatory 100% testing for transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs) before release:
- HIV I & II
- Hepatitis B (HBsAg)
- Hepatitis C (HCV)
- Malaria
- Syphilis (VDRL)
Reactive (positive) units must be discarded immediately following standard Bio-Medical Waste Management protocols.
5. Record Keeping & Reporting
- e-Raktkosh Integration: Daily updates regarding blood collection, available stock, and issue registers must be uploaded to the national e-Raktkosh portal.
- Document Retention: Donor screening forms, blood grouping reports, and cross-match records must be preserved securely for a minimum of 5 years.