Guwahati: The licences of five blood banks in Assam have been suspended by the state government for failing to comply with guidelines for safe blood transfusion.
This was stated by the state government in an affidavit before the Gauhati High Court Friday in response to a query from the court on the long-term actions initiated by the state government for safe blood transfusion.
The High Court had taken suo motu cognizance after five persons were administered HIV positive blood at Mangaldoi Civil Hospital in Darrang district in June last year.
Representing the state government, additional advocate general Debojit Saikia said the state government had inspected all 66 blood banks in the state and five blood banks were found to have failed to comply with the standard guidelines set by the National Blood Transfusion Council.
Sixty-one blood banks needed minute modifications and have been directed to comply within a month’s time, he said, a fresh status report has been sought by the High Court at the next hearing on May 11.
Licences of two blood banks in Dibrugarh and one each in Cachar, Tinsukia and Jorhat districts have been suspended.
At least four persons had tested positive for the HIV virus in June last year after blood transfusion at Mangaldai civil hospital, leading to an uproar across the state. (UNI)
