Action taken against three blood centres in Lucknow and one each in Agra, Aligarh, Gorakhpur and Kheri
Multiple irregularities exposed, including release of blood without ELISA testing, negligence cold chain maintenance and absence of technical staff
Availability of safe blood is a priority; regular inspections necessary to ensure compliance with standards
Lucknow, October 2026 : To ensure patients in Uttar Pradesh receive and quality blood, the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) has launched a special inspection drive against blood centres. On the directions of the FSDA Commissioner, and with the aim of strictly enforcing the prescribed standards across the entire process of blood testing, safe storage and supply in the interest of public health, surprise inspections were carried out at 40 blood centres run by charitable trusts and societies across 10 districts of the state. After serious irregularities were found, activities related to blood and blood components have been halted with immediate effect at seven blood centres, while show-cause notices are being issued regarding the shortcomings found at the other centres.
Under the drive being run by inter-district teams of drug inspectors, various standards are being examined, including blood quality, mandatory infection testing, safe storage, temperature control, stock management, pricing, and the availability of trained technical staff. The drive will continue on a regular basis.
Highest number of inspections in Lucknow: 13 blood centres
Under the special drive, 13 blood centres were inspected in Lucknow. In addition, five centres were inspected in Agra, four in Muzaffarnagar, four in Bijnor, five in Kanpur, three in Aligarh, two each in Ghaziabad and Varanasi, and one each in Gorakhpur and Prayagraj. During the inspections, the following were checked at the blood centres: mandatory tests, records of blood donors and recipients, temperature control systems, stock registers, validity of licences, and the availability of required medical and technical staff.
Several lapses, including release of blood without mandatory testing
The revealed irregularities at some blood centres, such as negligence in the mandatory ELISA and other infection-related tests, failure to record complete details of blood recipients, and improper maintenance of temperature records and stock registers. At some centres, the medical officer in charge and technical staff were also found absent. To ensure the safety of blood, it is essential to carry out the prescribed tests for infections such as HIV, HBsAg, HCV, VDRL and malaria, along with proper storage of blood and its components and maintenance of the prescribed temperature. Ignoring these standards raises the risk of compromised blood quality and danger to patients' safety.
Operations halted at these seven blood centres
On the basis of certain irregularities, activities related to blood and blood components have been halted with immediate effect at seven blood centres.
1. Shri Balaji Charitable Blood Centre, Agra: The inspection found that the mandatory and sterility tests were not being conducted. Complete details of blood recipients, including name, signature and mobile number, were not recorded. Temperature logs and stock records were also found to be improperly maintained.
2. New Bapu Blood Centre, Aligarh: Shortcomings were found in the mandatory TTI and in procedures related to CPDA solution. ELISA testing was also not being done. Lapses were also found in the temperature recording graph, stock register, availability of qualified technical staff, and maintenance of required documents.
3. Manya Charitable Blood Centre, Gorakhpur: The medical officer in charge staff were found absent during the inspection. Irregularities were found in temperature recording, and the maintenance of records was also found incomplete.
4. Anubhav Charitable Blood Centre, Lakhimpur Kheri: The contract required for the disposal of biomedical waste was not available. Deficiencies were found in the temperature monitoring and alarm system. Stock registers for blood bags and diagnostic kits were also not available.
5. Little Star Blood Centre, Lucknow: The long-standing absence of the medical officer charge and technical staff came to light. It was found that blood and blood components were being released without testing even though the ELISA machine was out of order. In addition, traces of red blood cells (RBCs) were found in FFP.
6. Rama Charitable Blood Centre, Lucknow: Irregularities were found, including release of blood without completing ELISA testing, storing FFP in a platelet agitator contrary to the prescribed procedure, charging fees higher than the prescribed price, and absence of staff.
7. KHS Charitable Blood Centre, Lucknow: The medical officer in charge and technical staff were absent. The master register and the ELISA/TTI testing register had not been updated on time. The cleanliness of the premises was also found unsatisfactory.
Action will also be taken against other blood centres as per rules
According to UPFSDA Commissioner Dr. Roshan Jacob, along with halting blood and blood component activities at the seven centres where irregularities were found, action as per rules is also being taken regarding the shortcomings found at the other inspected centres. Show-cause notices are being issued to the concerned centres. Its aim is to ensure the safe disposal of blood and blood components in accordance with the prescribed standards. The FSDA's emphasis is on ensuring regular inspections at blood centres, mandatory testing, proper storage and the availability of trained staff, so that negligence at any level does not affect patient safety.
