Maharashtra FDA Adds 23 New Blood Banks, Total Now 366 in 3 Years

In a significant leap for the state's healthcare infrastructure, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted licenses to 23 more blood banks, taking the total to 366 blood banks in the last three years.

"Maharashtra FDA's approach to expanding blood bank infrastructure in the state is in line with the mandate of the Union Health Ministry and its mandate to promote blood donation," said Bhushan Patil, FDA's Joint Director of Drugs at Maharashtra. We are seeing a positive growth of 10% in blood donations, which indicates an increasing potential.

The various blood banks in Maharashtra include 279 state institutions, 77 citizen-run institutions and ten private institutions to improve access and coverage to multiple sections of the population. This strategic expansion aims to meet the dynamic healthcare needs of Maharashtra.

Despite positive progress in healthcare across the country, India still struggles to meet its annual blood transfusion needs of $1 million. Mumbai, a headquarters, has 30,000 units of blood every month. In response to these ongoing challenges, healthcare company Abbott has launched a national youth blood donation awareness program and an opportunity to work hard to bridge the gap between supply and demand.

Currently implementing the Drugs and Commodities (DandC) Act and the National Blood Policy Rules and Guidelines, the e-Rakt Kosh platform is an essential tool to manage the life cycle of blood donation effectively.