Rajasthan HC gives 6 months deadline to all bloodbanks to appoint all qualified staff, orders use of only ELISA IV kits

Jodhpur: The Rajasthan Medical and Health department have been directed to appoint sufficient medical and technical staff in all the blood banks as soon as possible and have been asked to mandatorily use the ELISA IV test kits on a uniform basis, as per a recent order given by the Rajasthan High Court.

The direction was given by the two judge bench of Justices Sandeep Mehta and Kuldeep Mathur while disposing a Public Interest Litigation which raised issues related to shortage of manpower in all blood banks across Rajasthan and the usage of advance technology for blood transfusion. 

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ELISA IV Generation test refers to Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay which is a comprehensive test used to detect acute HIV, by identifying both HIV-specific antigens and HIV antibodies in blood samples. The ELISA test can also detect Lyme disease, pernicious anaemia, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, rotavirus, squamous cell carcinoma, syphilis, toxoplasmosis, varicella-zoster virus, which causes chickenpox and shingles, and the Zika virus. 

Responding to the writ petition, Pankaj Sharma, Additional Advocate General (AAG) stated that the required testing facilities are available at all district headquarters. Reiterating the conclusion given by an expert committee which had submitted their report on the issue on 11th November, 2021, he stated that the facility of blood analysis through Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) is available at two centers. NAT is a molecular technique for screening blood donations which helps in reducing the risk of transfusion transmitted infections (TTIs) in the recipients of the blood. 

Referring to the ELISA IV Generation test, Sharma observed that it is comprehensive, is accepted all over the world and the state has approved the usage of this test in all blood banks. 

The National Aids Control Organisation, New Delhi (NACO) and the Rajasthan State Aids Control Society were also made parties to the petition, reports the Live Law. 

Further, the court, based on the committee's report, observed that there is no available data on the proper manpower in blood banks due to which the sensitive equipment are not being put to proper use. The court noted, 

"We hereby direct the Medical and Health Department, Government of Rajasthan to ensure that proper medical and technical staff, wherever required, is selected and appointed in the blood banks across the State of Rajasthan at the earliest and as far as possible within next six months. The ELISA IV test kits shall henceforth be used uniformly in all blood banks/centres."

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