Jaipur:
Twenty Thalassemic children being infected with HIV and Hepatitis C after blood transfusions at a government hospital in Jodhpur has shaken the entire country. But it's not just these children, even ordinary people could receive infected blood from a blood bank.
That's because the Nucleic acid testing (NAT) facility - that reduces chances of contaminated blood - is absent in most government hospitals, not only in Rajasthan but in India. It is, however, widely in use not just in developed countries of the West but even several developing nations of South East Asia.
However, the government insists National AIDA Control Organisation (NACO) guidelines are strictly followed but the NAT still remains elusive. The reason: Because it costs more than the traditional Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) test.
So, the Gehlot government that recently spent several crores for a jaunt to the US by its ministers and bureaucrats is still dithering over buying the NAT machine costing less than Rs 2 crore.
"As soon as we get some kind of assurance from NACO, we will ensure that we get this machine and if possible even be a pioneer in starting the NAT," said A A Ahmad, Health Minister, Rajasthan.
As it reduces the detection period for HIV and Hepatitis C and B very considerably, health experts say the government should make the NAT mandatory at the earliest.
"Given the work load that the government has, if it negotiates strongly they can get a much cheaper rate. And that will make the NAT quite feasible," said Dr Gajendra Gupta, Chief Pathologist, SDM Hospital, Jaipur.
Recently, around 5000 blood samples that tested safe through ELISA were retested by AIIMS through NAT. And five of them were found to be containing Hepatitis B and C virus. Studies show that over 1 per cent of all HIV cases happen through blood transfusions and the need for the NAT is more than urgent.
The alarm bells in Rajasthan are a wakeup call for the country to initiate stringent steps for blood safety. If small countries like Malaysia and Thailand can afford the NAT, the big question is why can't India.