State govt caps prices of blood units in govt, private hospitals

 The state government has passed an order capping the prices of blood units and its components in both private and government blood banks across Karnataka. However, the prevailing prices have been revised.

The government order states that Karnataka State Blood Transfusion Council would ensure that no private and government blood banks or hospitals charge patients in excess of the stipulated price. Blood and blood components and all tests are free for patients of BPL category. Besides, those with thalassemia, haemophilia and sickle cell anaemia get blood or its components free of cost in government and private hospitals.

The blood bank has to obtain the consent of the donor for collecting more than one unit of single-donor platelet. The second unit, so collected, should be sold either free or at subsidised price or at half the price of first unit.

The ceiling price of the blood components  in private hospitals is nearly three times of that prevailing in their government counterparts. For instance, while the price of whole blood cell is Rs 350 per unit for non-BPL patients in government hospitals, the revised price for the same is Rs 950 in private establishments.

Shalini Rajneesh, principal secretary, department of Health and Family Welfare said that there were 31 district hospital blood banks in the state. The Rotary TTK blood bank samples will be tested free for Individual Donor-Nucleic Acid Testing (ID-NAT).