Odisha: All blood banks to have NAT-PCR by 2025-end

CUTTACK:  Dropping its earlier plan to expand the nucleic acid testing polymerase chain reaction (NAT- PCR) blood testing facility to all 45 blood banks in a phased manner, the state government has decided to do it simultaneously at an estimated cost of Rs 200 crore.

Commissioner-cum-secretary of Health and Family Welfare department Shalini Pandit informed this in an affidavit to the Orissa High Court on Monday during hearing of two PILs - one filed by lawyer Prabir Kumar Das and the other by Amit Abhijit Samal.

Both the petitions sought direction for introduction of NAT-PCR facility in all the blood banks for quick and accurate detection of infections like HIV 1 and 2, hepatitis B and C in the collected blood.
Pandit stated the process is on for concurrence of the line departments such as Finance, Planning & Convergence, and subsequent appraisal by the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) as the expansion plan has huge financial implication of Rs 200 crore. “After required approvals are obtained, necessary budgetary  allocation shall be made in the budget,” she said.

NAT-PCR testing technology is presently adopted in 11 blood centres where 47% of total blood collections of the state is being tested through this advanced method. The testing facility is expected to be operationalised in the remaining 45 blood collection centres by the end of 2025, Pandit said in the affidavit.

Taking the affidavit on record the division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice Gourishankar Satapathy fixed June 21 as the  next date for consideration of the matter.